Trial and Error
by LeahElizabeth
Summary: Sequel to Body of Evidence. It's the trial of the serial killer who nearly killed Parker Booth and the data analyst. How will everyone hold up? And when will Sweets tell Krys how he feels? Featuring: B/B, Angela/Hodgins, Zack, Caroline, Wendell, & Vincent
1. Forward

-A FORWARD-

This story is the sequel to 'Body of Evidence'.

For those who haven't read it here's what you need to know (though I still suggest reading the fic):

-Booth's son Parker and a data analyst (Krys Robin) were held hostage by the serial killer featured in this story who is on trial.

-The usual Booth and Bones sexual tension.

-Some Angela and Jack sexual tension.

-Lance Sweets has feelings for Krys but hasn't told her.

-The trial (and this fic) takes place about seven months after the original.

In saying that, I hope you enjoy! Happy reading.


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: Fasten your seat belts ladies and gents. Here we go._

1CHAPTER ONE

The clock ticked by painfully slow as Doctor Lance Sweets sat across from Agent Seeley Booth. Neither man would speak and Lance wasn't about to give in to Agent Booth's obvious boycott of discussion. If Temperance Brennan insisted on being late to one of their sessions then Agent Booth would just have to learn to function on his own and tough it out. However, Seeley Booth didn't seem to share that mind set as he sat on the couch in the psychologist's office, his leg bouncing up and down.

In an attempt to ignore such a display, or perhaps discover the right things to say, Lance allowed his eyes to watch the second hand of the clock tick away. A long sigh and Lance brought his gaze onto the agent.

"And you are so agitated _because_?..." Doctor Sweet's voice trailed off as he looked to the man with brown eyes.

"Bones is late. I'm just a little antsy." Seeley commented his cocky belt buckle revealing itself around his waist.

"You know very well that she's just finishing up some last minute work." Lance corrected, tilting his head at the man. "She called. You _heard_ it. I had it on speaker." He commented in disbelief as he gaped at the agent who always demanded on being difficult.

"Well forgive me for being just a little antsy. This whole psychology mumbo jumbo isn't my thing. You know that." He drummed his hands against his black pants clad thighs bouncing a bit in his chair as he glanced over his shoulder as if expecting the woman to walk in.

"You can't allow your every day routines to be affected by the absence of one person, Agent Booth." Sweets told the agent with a sigh, something he'd soon regret as Booth turned the tables.

"Funny. I could say the same thing about you." Seeley watched Lance lean back in his chair and he copied the motion, folding his hands in his lap as if they were switching roles. A little smile and he knew that he now held the position of power.

"Really?" Lance groaned, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling. "We're _really _going to talk about this again?"

"You haven't been yourself Sweets and I hate to say it but I miss that annoying part of you." Seeley admitted shifting about in his chair as he got down to business. "You don't hound down Bones and I anymore, you just sit around in your office playing on the computer and sulking."

"I don't sulk!" Lance frowned not really wishing to go through this discussion all over again.

"You sulk." Booth said firmly. "A lot." Sitting upright he leaned forward now so the topic couldn't be avoided. "And everyone knows it's about that girl." Lance didn't respond instead he looked to his lap in avoidance. He hated when Seeley Booth went on one of his power trips. "And just because you messed it up-"

Lance suddenly looked right up. "I didn't mess anything up!" He countered with a worried pout, his eyes darting back and forth.

"I put the golden goose right in your hands and you messed it up!" Seeley responded loudly with a tired frown. He hated when he put so much work into something only to have someone mess it up (like his little brother Jared).

"You, more than anyone else, Agent Booth should realize that it isn't that easy." Sweets tried to quiet him with an empty threat about Doctor Brennan, as he remained in his slumped back position like a wounded puppy.

"Yeah, well... I... So... Sometimes it is!" Booth stammered until finally settling on the point that he was making with conviction.

Lance let out a long sigh and fell quiet. God was he ever growing tired of this bombarding thing Booth had been doing. Sweets knew he was one of those men when something didn't go the way he wanted, he blamed himself, so he couldn't even be angry with him about it. He meant well, and to an extent, he was right.

He had one session with Krys Robin and then after that he never saw her again. The session had been fine. She did a lot of the talking without saying much of anything. She didn't once address the kidnapping her and Parker had experienced but Lance blamed that on it being so fresh seven months ago. But after that session she never came back. Booth later informed him that the Bureau had more specific desires and Krys had since been assigned a new job but nothing more. But Lance didn't have her number, an email, an address. And if he had known he wouldn't be seeing her ever again he would have at least asked!... Maybe... He wasn't sure. Lately he had been a coward and absolutely hated himself for it. He had messed it up. He always did. Like with April, like with Daisy... Would three be the magic number like on 'Schoolhouse Rock?'.

Just then Doctor Temperance Brennan walked into the room without knocking, as was her style, and stood there with hands in her pockets causing Seeley Booth to fall quiet and bring his eyes unsurely onto the young psychologist.

"There's my point exactly." Sweets pointed out quietly which of course Temperance didn't understand the reference, if this was lucky or not could be left up to debate, but she didn't have time to ask as soon right behind her was Miss Caroline Julien the lawyer.

"Hey there Cheries." Caroline greeted both Booth and Lance, she had already greeted Temperance outside. Seeley Booth immediately stood up while Lance chose to remain seated. "Has any one of you ever heard about returning phone calls on time when the deputy office comes a'ringin'?" She questioned, though it was made apparent it was rhetorical when she went on talking. "The trial date for that messed up man that caused a whole lot of hell is set for next week."

"Harold." Temperance finished for her as Seeley gave her a nod. All of them had been dreading this for a while, and for a number of reasons, one of which was about to be mentioned.

"You'll need to be the court psychologist for the witnesses on the stand." Caroline announced.

"Yeah sure. Just awesome." Lance nodded from where he sat but made no effort to get up.

"I've got summons here for Parker Booth to testify on the stand at a later date." She held out the envelope which Agent Booth reached out and took with a solemn nod.

"He'll be there." Seeley nodded, then added: "But only if I'm allowed in the court room and every step of the way."

"Of course Cherie." Caroline nodded before she held out another envelope and everyone's eyes fell on it. They knew what this was all about. "And summons for Krys Robin who has been, up until this point, been avoiding my phone calls. Looks like she picked up a few things from being around you people." Caroline nodded with a roll of her eyes still holding the envelope out for someone to take. Anyone by this point. "I've got contact information if-"

This was when Lance stood up without even realizing that he had moved to his feet. "I can go." He offered only to have the previously forceful Booth shake his head and reach out for the envelope, blocking his attempt.

"Bones and I will do it." The agent nodded, clasping the envelope between his fingers and then tucking it into his suit coat pocket so no one could take it from him. Glancing over his shoulder at Sweets with a serious nod. "Probably for the best." He reassured quietly, not wanting the man to go to the poor kid with bad news, better him to break it to her (with their history and all).

Lance seemed to agree as he gave the man a nod before pocketing his hands and looking to the floor. Temperance Brennan however didn't remain as quiet as she stepped beside her partner with a matter of fact kind of look.

"I'm not positive that she's going to be happy to see us with that envelope." She frowned a hint of worry in her voice.

"She'll be happy to see us, Bones. Just not the summons." Booth corrected doing his best to give her a helpful smile but none would come, though the warmness showed in his eyes.

Caroline cleared her throat so to interupt with more information. "Well, here's where you two can reach our little star." The lawyer held out a small piece of yellow paper to which Agent Booth politely declined with a little, polite shake of his large hand.

"Don't worry." Booth looked to his partner. "I know where to find her."


	3. Chapter 2

_A/N: As always reviews are appreciated and tell me that people are reading so that I can post another chapter. Also there's a poll up on my profile page. Please vote or PM me if you REALLY want certain things to happen. I tend to listen to my readers and I address things rather quickly. :)_

2CHAPTER TWO

Doctor Temperance Brennan found it horribly ironic that they hadn't so much as heard from Krys Robin, at least to her knowledge, and yet she had only been a building over and a few flights of stairs downward. It was dark in the hallway, somewhat crammed, not at all like the conditions of the Jeffersonian Lab like she was used to.

"It's very dark down here. And empty." Temperance noted as she studied the brickwork of the hallway. Nothing on the walls unlike the upper levels which were layered with awards and plaques.

"That's why they put our squints down here." Booth noted as he counted the door numbers in his head in search of a specific one. "Keep 'em locked down here all day scanning codes, running names. Need to be really smart to do that in the dark which probably leads to them all wearing glasses that could pick up cable.

"I'm pretty sure that for eye wear to do that is near impossible, even with FBI involvement." Doctor Brennan noted matter of factly as she walked down the hall. "I just find it odd that she worked here this entire time and no one knew about it." Temperance thought aloud.

"Correction. _You_ didn't know about it." Seeley Booth grunted while looking straight ahead as though if he even looked at her the wrong way he'd begin to feel excessive guilt.

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Temperance turned her accusing gaze onto her partner with a frown. "Or Sweets?"

"Happy face Bones." Agent Booth quieted her as he stopped in front of a certain door, reaching out he took hold of the handle and turned it. "Don't want Krys seeing you looking all... Bitter."

"I am not bitter!" Doctor Brennan frowned, her eyes never leaving her partner even as he opened the door.

It was a room filled entirely of computers of all sizes. Large, bulky monitors, wires and cables tangling in every which direction. It'd be impossible to walk without looking down at your feet to avoid tripping. And on one rolling chair in the far back stood Krys Robin the data analyst, all 5 foot 3 of her trying to reach up a shelf, earphones plugged in her ears as she shook her bum back and forth in rhythm to the music she was hearing while not seeing the two.

"She seems to be... dancing..." Temperance said quietly as she watched the young woman with her brow raised.

"Thanks, Bones. I couldn't tell." Booth shook his head before taking a step into the room. "The Bureau stuck the kid in here to keep her out of trouble after the last mess she got into. No more field work." Stepping over two cables which were tied together and appeared to be about three inches wide each. It's only when he stumbled and caught himself on a table which shook under his weight.

This movement caused Krys to turn around from on top of the rolling chair. "Booth!" Removing her headphones she gave a big smile and Doctor Brennan could see the color in her cheeks. She looked a lot better than when they had last crossed paths. She looked healthy. "Doctor Brennan! Hey." She then proceeded to hop off of the chair as her hands shoved into her jeans pockets as she turned her gaze onto Booth who was still hunched over the desk. "This is why we don't have nice things, Booth." She lectured with her signature smirk though it lacked it's brightness from several months ago but that was to be expected.

"I'm not here to mess up your work area, I promise kid." Agent Booth grunted rising back onto his own two.

"She is well past her teens Booth, hardly a kid if age has anything to do with it." Doctor Brennan spoke up and Krys found herself smiling at the anthropologist.

"It's not about that." Seeley corrected shaking his head. Why couldn't she ever understand little social situations just to make everyone's life easier? Then again Temperance Brennan made his life a lot of things, easy wasn't one of them. "It's just a saying Bones."

"It's a saying that makes very little sense." Temperance countered with a disappointed frown as the two looked at one another ignoring Krys, the whole reason that they had come. "She's a young woman capable of making her own decisions. She can bare a child, she can vote in an election, she is old enough to do everything that you're able to do. By all rules of society she is not a child."

"Still as literal as ever I see." Krys remarked with a soft laugh so not to be forgotten in the two's bickering as she sat on the edge of one of the computer tables. Krys leaned forward her voice taking on a jokingly soft whisper though it was loud enough to be purposely heard. "Compared to Booth I am a kid."

"Enough of that, Robin." Seeley shook his head standing in front of the young woman like he often did with Parker. Temperance immediately picked up on this but she kept her thoughts to herself, for once. "That's not why we're here."

"Oh and here I thought you were taking me bowling again." Krys smiled as she shook her head. Of course she knew just by the man's demeanor that he was there for something that she wouldn't like but she didn't let it show.

"You took her bowling?" Temperance asked with a raised brow as she studied her partner's face who deliberately tried to avoid her gaze. But Seeley couldn't hide the redness that was rising to his cheeks. "Sweets isn't going to like that." She warned in a soft inaudible murmur that Krys couldn't hear and could only furrow her brow at the comment. Of course Temperance didn't think that Booth liked the girl in any way other than a friendly manner, she was merely referring to the idea that Booth knew where Krys was this entire time and hadn't told him... Even with the whole national security cover he often used.

"No. Not bowling." Booth cleared his throat as he fished into his pocket. "I have a letter from Caroline Julian."

Krys' face immediately fell and with a heavy sigh she pushed herself to her feet and began to walk to the opposite end of the room. "I wish it _was_ bowling." She groaned and Temperance found herself studying the young woman. She seemed more intelligent than she looked, at least from a social standpoint, much like Sweets.

"You're being summoned to testify in the trial." Booth went on. Too late to back off now.

"Trial?" Krys was now pretending to rifle through files before she moved to her messenger bag and began tucking things inside as if preparing to leave.

"For Harold. The man who kidnapped you." Temperance spoke up in awe that she had over estimated this young woman based on her own avoidance.

"I think she guessed that much, Bones." Booth spoke up with a heavy sigh. He knew this was going to be difficult. He couldn't blame her. He barely wanted to put his son through this and that was only so they were guaranteed a verdict and because Caroline nearly put him in a choke hold in the hallway. There was nothing to make Krys testify and go through that pain all over again except his word. "Caroline wants you on the witness stand so we can put him away for good. Parker is already on board and we need you."

"Well, that's certainly a downer." Krys shrugged him off without even looking up, slinging her bag around her shoulder and reaching for her hat. Tucking her dark brown hair underneath a black beanie she moved toward the door, catching Doctor Brennan's gaze she gave a little smile of acknowledgment while still avoiding Booth out of fear of changing her mind. "It was nice seeing you again Doctor Brennan." And she moved to leave only to be stopped by the sound of Booth's voice.

"You can't go. It's an order right from the Bureau." Booth couldn't help but feel a little guilty about holding it over her head, but it was his job after all. "You have to at least go talk to Caroline before you decide anything or you'll be put on temporary leave." He couldn't allow himself to flinch because he knew Krys would catch it. He wasn't lying. That thought alone kept him firm.

Krys slowly turned around in a few moments of silence as she took in Agent Booth with a bit of a frown. She didn't enjoy being forced to do anything, she had enough of that in her life, but this was beyond her control. "So if I see this Julian woman, I'll be left alone and I can come back here and work? No problem? No more of this."

"Yes."

"Right." The last thing Krys wanted to do was to be stuck at home again. And this time it looked like she didn't have a choice. Even if she did say no she'd have to talk to that Caroline woman first and from what she heard/saw, the lady was intimidating. This wasn't something she was looking forward to. She turned her gaze on Doctor Brennan. "What do you think?"

"Me?" Temperance blinked and Booth found himself holding his breath, awaiting her answer. This particular answer she phrased carefully. "I think that you should listen to Booth." _Phew_.

Krys swallowed, bit down on her bottom lip, and turned her gaze back to Booth. Temperance Brennan was an intelligent woman, more so than everyone else and in a way that provided the two with a bit of trust.

"Alright. Lets go to the lab and get this over with."


	4. Chapter 3

3CHAPTER THREE

"Are you sure that Doctor Brennan won't be mad?" The blonde haired athletic looking young intern of the week, Wendell, asked with a concerned, furrowed brow as he leaned over the table that he and Hodgins had set up.

At both ends were large glass cups used for measuring acids that they had both cleaned out. These were to serve as the goals. The table had been taped out with masking tape to form a mini scale of a hockey rink. The sticks were little metal tools that were usually used for poking and peeling dead bodies. The puck was a piece of paper that Hodgins had yanked from one of the many printers and had crumpled up.

"Of course not." Hodgins shook his head readjusting the positioning of the glasses so that they were perfectly aligned across from one another. "She'll be glad that we are doing something productive." Jack finished with a smug smile as he knelt down so that he was eye level, sizing them up so everything was perfect.

With Caroline Julian wandering about and no case everything was running pretty slowly until the trial. Now it was all about preparation and other than his testimony about the science of the case Jack Hodgins was all set, and Wendell wasn't at all involved, so both were free to do whatever they could put their minds to. This was a rare treat that could either produce something wonderful or horribly disappointing. Today it involved a small round of makeshift table hockey.

"Productive?" Came Angela's voice from behind the two boys (causing Wendell to look over at her surprised while Hodgins didn't even look away from the table). She was smiling, he knew the tone of her voice and it wasn't dismal, there was a hint of amusement to it. "I hate to see what you two guys do on a non productive day."

"You're just jealous because it's a two person game and you'll have to wait your turn." Jack replied with a little smile and a playful twinkle in his eye, though he didn't look at her as he wandered over to his side of the table, reaching for the metal instrument which would be his 'hockey stick'.

"Yes. I'm horribly overcome with jealousy. I don't know how I'll survive." The artist feigned right back as she held her clipboard close to her chest. She was rarely seen without the item. Rolling her eyes she stifled a laugh, she had been broken up with by Roxie a little while back and since then her and Jack had slept together but no relationship had been pursued. But at least they were on talking terms and things, though awkward, weren't so ridiculously so. "I'll get over it."

Her eyes moved onto the newest intern in the rotation and she gave him a warm smile. She had always had an almost motherly fondness for him. "Hey Wendell."

"Hi Miss Montanegro." Wendell greeted with a silly smile and little blush before he looked over at Hodgins who was gesturing for him to come over to the table and join him. Though slightly confused, the blonde man obeyed like the good little sidekick he was. "So who gets the puck first?" He asked as he picked up his own metal instrument.

"I think that it's quite obvious since the brilliant idea was mine, that I should get to go first." Jack set the crumpled up piece of paper down on the table before catching the expression on Angela's face and he immediately became defensive. "What? I think it's only fair." Jack lifted his left hand up with the metal piece, preparing himself. "You ready over there Wendell?"

Wendell looked up with his own metal piece in front of the cup. "Yeah, but I have to warn you, I'm only used to playing hockey full size, this is totally new to me. The closest I ever came to miniature sports was paper football in grade school."

"It's alright. I'll go gentle buddy." Jack smiled as his tongue stuck out in concentration.

"Just don't go easy on _him_ Wendell." Angela warned with a little smile of her own as she stepped by the wall so to watch the little match. Any form of entertainment would be good fun at this point, even as something as silly as a rivalry between boys.

"Don't taunt the boy." Hodgins warned, still waiting to take his shot, almost like he was stalling because Angela was in the room. "It's just a friendly little game." Looking back down to the table his left hand took a swing and the paper ball was stopped with ease by Wendell who then swung with his right hand and the little paper ball sunk into the cup. Jack Hodgins could only stare down in surprise as Angela started to clap like a school girl.

The young intern looked up with a boyish smile. "Hey. This isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be."

"Yeah. Wonderful." Jack grunted, shaking his head he began to adjust for another shot. That's when Lance Sweets slid right into the room as he usually tended to do.

"Hey. Table hockey." Lance commented as he nodded toward the table. "Awesome." He once again nodded approvingly from where he stood in the doorway. "Who's winning?"

"Wendell is." Angela responded with a bright smile causing the blonde intern to blush.

"We just started and it's only by one." Hodgins corrected as he lined up another shot and swished his wrist, this time the crumpled ball rolled right off the table and Wendell had to bend down to pick it up.

"I get next!" Lance called out like an eager school boy as he smiled widely, one of his token schoolboy grins.

"Wait in line. Wait in line." Hodgins waved him off apparently getting very antsy with all of these people watching him lose something as simple as makeshift table hockey. Only this time he scored and couldn't hide the grin that rose to his scruffy face. "Yes!" He called out in triumph pumping his fist into the air as he bent down on one knee which caused Angela to shake her head, though she was smiling, and Wendell to look up toward the ceiling though he was also smiling in his own way.

"Hard at work I see." Doctor Cam Saroyan commented from the doorway with her own skinny arms crossed over her chest which caused the intern to nearly drop the ball but instead chose to hide it behind his back.

"Just keeping ourselves busy and occupied Doctor Saroyan." Jack Hodgins shrugged, unaffected by her looming over them unlike everyone else as he set up another shot. "Can't penalize us for that."

"Oh but I can." Cam retorted, stepping forward and taking the paper ball into her hand and holding it up by her face cool, calm, and collected. "But I won't." Studying the group she sighed and tossed the ball back onto the table before getting back down to business. "Just finished a call with Mister Nigel-Murray. He's back in Europe in a dig but he'll be returning to present the information he gathered at the trial. So that's two out of the three confirmed."

"Who are you missing?" Jack asked with interest, lifting his head.

"Not so much missing as just found." Cam corrected before nodding her head toward the window pane.

Lance lifted his head just in time, along with everyone else, to see Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth walking with a purpose toward the conference room where Caroline Julian was currently held up and right beside them... There was Krys. She looked good, healthy other than the lack of a smile on her lips that had once been there. Despite all of this he felt the pit in his stomach sink. She was here. She was in the building, and yet he couldn't even move.

"Who's that?" Wendell asked confused.

"You and me Wendell, we need to have another one of our talks." Angela reassured with a smile, giving him a little pat on the shoulder.


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: He guys, so I have about 7 chapters written and ready to go and I'll be posting them today with every 5 reviews that each chapter gets (per usual method). As your waiting I would love PM's telling me what you'd like to see happen in this story. Any of my readers in the past will testify that I answer all questions and try to incorporate as much as I can with what you want to happen._ _Thanks so much!_

4CHAPTER FOUR

Agent Seeley Booth had seen to it that Krys was comfortably seated in Bones' office while everyone else met in the Conference Room. It had been Caroline's orders and everyone knew better than to cross the power house attorney. And when she specifically asked for Krys and Parker not to be in attendance Booth could already guess what it had to pertain to. It only made sense that it'd be about Krys refusing to testify and now they were going to get their usual briefing along with a stern lecturing from the woman about how they should convince her. Everyone had been expecting this as each of the Jeffersonian team sat along the table.

Jack Hodgins and Wendell sat next to one another on one side, Hodgins leaning back in his chair while Wendell looked unsurely back and forth. Angela sat beside Temperance Brennan on one side while Booth's empty seat was on her other side though he chose to stand by the wall instead as he massaged his temples. Sweets sat next to Cam at the end of the table his shoulders slightly slumped as Caroline Julian stood at the head.

"Can we move this along Miss Julian?" Booth sighed as he turned to look at her, obviously concerned and fairly impatient. "I really don't like keeping that poor girl held up in Bone's office like a criminal." He admitted in his gruff voice.

"She's in Doctor Brennan's office?" Lance spoke up sitting upright in his seat only to feel Cam's warning hand bracing his arm to keep him in his spot.

"That's another thing we need to steer away from." Miss Julian commented as her hands rested atop the table as she addressed the team.

"What?" Lance blinked, on the defensive.

"None of those puppy dog eyes on the stand." Caroline stated bluntly as was her style. "The jury will find it extremely difficult to listen to a psychologist's testimony when he's too busy pouting at one of the victims." Lance blinked alarmed but Caroline wouldn't even allow him to retaliate this time. "And yes it's extremely obvious. I could write an entire briefing equipt with opening and closing statement in fifteen minutes about how ridiculously obvious you are."

"Lame." Lance sighed, slumping back down in his seat, his pale hands wrapping around the chair's arm rests and giving them a squeeze.

"We've got that overly zealous European kid on standby correct?" Caroline went on, directing her eyes onto Doctor Cam Saroyan.

"As of this morning he's packing up his things and will be here by tomorrow evening." Cam nodded before nodding her head toward their current intern. "He'll be staying with Wendell for the duration of the trial until he can return back to his dig."

"Oh! A little slumber party." Booth teased in a momentary showing of his usual sense of humor as he paced over toward the intern that was so much like himself and gave him a playful nudge of the shoulders to which Wendell responded by shaking his shoulder off of him with a laugh.

"No." The young blonde laughed as his cheeks turned a shade of pink. Wendell liked Agent Booth and since losing his own father to lung cancer from smoking years ago he accepted the agent's presence and even enjoyed it.

"I'm going to say to you people what I always say to you before a trial-" Caroline began as she sat down.

"You always say that line too." Jack Hodgins pointed out rather flatly with his own smug little smile which Caroline ignored.

"You are to show up to the hearings on time." She went on, hitting all the usual bullet points. "There will be no buddy/buddy whispering or giggling. No outbursts. Nothing." Her eyes landed on each individual squint in warning. "I understand you're all attached rather heavily in this case but we can't allow that to affect the trial. Understand?"

"Clean and detached people." Cam reiterated with a simple nod.

"All of you are suspended from all crime related duties until further notice." Caroline went on which got mixed responses from everyone all of which were of the negative variety. No one wanted to not be able to work, let alone have to sit in a court room day after day. The trade off wasn't a good one. "Since you all know Booth and his son for the duration of this child you're all on paid work leave. No arguments about it." A few groans and eye rolls and they were past that milestone, at least for the moment being.

"Now all that's left is getting that data analysis on the stand." She went on only to have Booth interupt her.

"Caroline." Booth's voice was quiet, yet firm. "She said no." It was very difficult to mask his protective nature and everyone else could see his inner struggle.

"Several times to be exact." Doctor Brennan chimed in from the table. "I find that very difficult to ignore and I don't know how you can so easily toss that desire aside when you said that you would listen."

"Sweetie." Angela's soft voice came from Temperance's side and her hand rested on her wrist. "Now is not the time." Temperance for once obeyed and quieted but Agent Booth was another matter.

"No. Bones, is right. As usual she's right." Booth shook his head suddenly quenched for coffee. He needed his coffee badly in a time like now. "And I'll be damned if I just let everyone trample all over that right. You've already got Parker up there I will not let you put Krys up there when she doesn't want to. Parker said yes, Krys said no." He went on, shaking his head as he was becoming increasingly flustered. "We can't do this Caroline and no one will change her mind." His voice dropped and he fell quiet, almost gentle. "And I'm not about to make her. Not after what she did... All she went through to..." He shook his head and took a step back sitting down beside his partner Doctor Brennan. "She saved my son."

"I understand that Cherie. I do, really." Caroline shook her head while trying to remain firm. She always had to be the bad guy but in a way it was to pursue justice so eventually it'd even out. "But without both of their testimonies to get life in prison will be far more difficult with just forensics. Add kidnapping to the charges and it's life without the possibility of parole. That's what we want, isn't it?"

Booth let out a sigh and fell quiet, looking down at his lap. What could he say to that? She was right. The chances of everyone relying on a child's testimony was rare, there was a risk of them being so scared that they'd say anything to appease someone, but with Krys to verify and tell of what happened after Parker ran it'd be an ace in the hole.

"You need to convince her. I don't care how you do it but we won't get this guy without her testimony." Caroline continued before her eyes moved down the table at Lance Sweets. "You." Lance lifted his head blinking. "You can talk to her. She'll listen to you."

"Me?" Lance blinked and then shook his head. "No. No way. We haven't seen each other in months."

"You're the psychologist. You'll know what to say to get under her skin." Caroline continued calmly as though the problem had been solved.

"But see, the problem is I really don't-" Lance attempted weakly turning bright red. Truth was Krys was the one person he couldn't figure out. Sure on a basic level but in other ways she was just a puzzle, perhaps that's what intrigued him so much about her.

"So it's settled. You two will meet up and we'll get this nonsense to stop." Caroline nodded before moving to her feet.

Meanwhile Angela turned her gaze toward the young psychologist who she so often confided in. "You may want to straighten your tie."


	6. Chapter 5

5CHAPTER FIVE

Lance Sweets sat inside the Royal Diner all by himself desperately trying to keep his focus on the daily newspaper but with no such luck. He knew what he was here for and it was the last thing he wanted to do especially when it'd be the first time he and Krys were actually talking since... Well, seven months ago. It had been too long in his opinion.

He wasn't sure if she was even the same after seven months of god knows what. Lord knows after traumatic events the human brain could go under any amount of warping so the person he knew and actually liked might be an entirely different person now. It was only to be expected. And it certainly wasn't like he could just say hello and slowly ease back into conversation with her, no, not with Caroline needing her on the stand and the team practically forcing him down her throat and vice versa. What made it worse was that he couldn't console her if the need arose, it had to be business because if he came back empty handed, he'd never hear the end of it from Booth or anyone. Plus, he was fairly certain Caroline Julian could kick his ass.

What if she didn't even show up? Sure Agent Booth had apparently passed the word along that she had to meet him here but what if she heard the name 'Lance Sweets' and hightailed it in the other direction? It seemed entirely plausible. She had that right. He didn't think their session immediately after the attacks had been that bad, they spoke really about every day things, the Jeffersonian, but then after that the Bureau switched psychologists and he was left in the dark. Lance couldn't help but wonder if he was the only one that cared about that switch. Did she?

Lance was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain his gaze on the fine print as he held the newspaper up in his left, suit coat clad, hand and resisted every urge to slap it down. He was fairly certain the table could pick up the vibration of his racing heart. He knew he was nervous, he just prayed that it didn't show.

That's when he felt someone sit down across from him and he looked up with his own brown eyes just in time to see Krys' chocolate brown ones looking right back at him. Chocolate brown. For some reason he gave the color that specific name in that moment of nervousness, though Krys didn't seem to be feeling it.

"Hi." She offered a bit loudly, as though she had been worried about the volume of her voice and actually had been practicing. Sweets, being the psychologist he was, caught this and actually felt a bit better because everything someone did had to mean something... Didn't it?

"Hello." He offered a bit nervously but managed to keep his voice from shaking and instead smiled softly at her. His fingertips actually squeezed the long forgotten newspaper.

There was a quiet between the two of them. The formalities had been swapped. Now what? Krys' eyes moved from Lance to the plate beside his hand.

"That looks good." She noted with an uneven smile nodding toward his plate as though too afraid to do anything else because it might seem odd. Lance watched as she shifted a bit uncomfortably in the chair. Maybe he wasn't the only one out of his element here.

Doctor Sweets was reminded of Angela stealing his fries all the time. It seemed innocent enough and hey, maybe it'd make him look more appealing. "Want some?"

"No." Krys politely declined with a soft laugh though Sweets inwardly found himself thinking _damn _and punishing himself. "Thanks though." She added as an after thought which made him feel just a little bit better. "I'm not really all that hungry."

"That's okay." The psychologist reassured gently as his eyes studied her, trying to figure out his next move with both business and personal. Who was he kidding? It had to be all business, she could never think of him in _that_ way. She didn't even want to eat his french fries. Even Angela ate his fries! He leaned back in the diner booth chair though still remaining upright. "I think you know why you're here."

"Yeah because you missed me." Krys quipped which she noticed caused Lance to blink as though surprised, even embarrassed and she soon found herself almost apologizing for the joke. "No, I was just kidding. I mean... I'm sorry. I have a habit of doing that. The whole sarcastic thing."

"No it's okay." Lance leaned forward, then back again, then forward once again, unable to settle on one placement. "I mean, I did.. Nah, I mean... I did but not in a weird, stalkerish way... You know?" Wincing a bit he tilted his head at her as he leaned forward against the table.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Krys smiled though it wasn't in a deprecating way. "But I appreciate it. And I missed you too."

She missed him! Internally he was jumping for joy but on the outside all he could do was get out a goofy sort of laugh as he shifted about in his seat. His stomach even tickled. He didn't take time to worry about if she said it out of obligation or because it was expected. All he knew was that the stubborn woman had said that she missed him, and it felt great.

"Well, okay." Was all that he could get out, his pale cheeks turning a shade of red that was very difficult to mask.

"Then again, after being locked in that computer room for about six months really any human contact looks good." Krys added as a joke but Sweets found himself thinking _'Nope. Can't cheapen it. Can't take it back. You said you missed me! HA!'. _"You know why they put me there don't you?"

"I have some idea." Lance responded as the conversation took a little turn back to the business side of things. "I mean, they kind of had to tell me when they switched who you were seeing... Psychologically." Why did he have to add that last part?! Luckily Krys didn't catch it. She seemed oblivious, much like Doctor Brennan, to certain social slips.

"-Because I apparently can't handle face to face work after my 'traumatic experience'." Krys sighed as she repeated what had been told to her. Her chin rested on her right hand and she shook her head. "Because apparently the Bureau knows exactly how I'm feeling." The disdain in her voice was evident and already they were touching on things that didn't need to be touched. "They know exactly how it felt to be tied up and-" She cut herself short by clamping her mouth before she said too much and slapped on a weak, little smile, if only to avoid clashing. To keep it inside. "Well they don't. And they shouldn't have done that." She concluded before falling quiet until she caught the look in Doctor Sweets eyes.

"Stop it." Krys said calmly, sitting upright now though not in a threatening manner.

"What?" Lance blinked obviously confused.

"Analyzing me." She responded as she pointed it out. "What I just said. How I'm sitting. How I'm looking at you. You're analyzing me." She added rather simply.

Lance felt his cheeks heat right up when he knew it was true. He always did this with Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth. It felt like he could never turn it off. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Krys said quietly. "I missed it." And there it was, a little smile that sent Lance's heart a flutter and don't you know it? He had to go and ruin things.

"The team wants me to ask you about testifying again." He found himself blurting out quietly and inwardly cringed. He couldn't even be the good guy for two seconds!

Krys Robin blinked and sat back, a bit startled by the suddenness of the question, but never the less gave a shake of her head. "No."

"Krys. I realize that it's difficult but the team needs you to testify so we can put this man away for sure." Lance went on, since he had already thrown himself on the path he might as well go down it full speed. "Parker Booth is already going on the stand and Miss Julian needs you to verify and do the same." She was looking at her lap, a passive aggressive sign and Lance couldn't take the hint. "The team will be there for you. I'm the court psychologist for this case, Caroline is the prosecutor, the team are all witnesses on the case and they need you for the scene, the codes, and everything else.." His voice trailed off. This was a losing battle and he knew it. Worse yet, he had hurt her. He could tell by the way the smile was fully gone off of her lips and how quiet she had become. Something had died inside of her that day, and he hated knowing that.

"No." She looked up rather seriously. "I have a right to say no and I'm using that right. Why can't everyone just leave me alone?"

"Krys-"

"I did what everyone asked." She went on though Sweets saw that she couldn't look at him and instead was looking determinedly at the table top. "I heard everyone's case, I sat and listened patiently. You guys had my answer several times and not once did it change. Why can't people just leave me alone?" Her brown eyes looked up suddenly and locked on his, rendering him almost speechless.

"Krys... Please." Resistance was futile.

The data analyst rose to her feet and slipped her messenger bag back around her shoulders. "I'm sorry Sweets, that's not something I can do." And with that, Krys Robin left the diner.


	7. Chapter 6

6CHAPTER SIX

The image on the television set was quite clear. A newscast for CNN with an on the field reporter who was currently filming outside the courthouse near the Jeffersonian about a topic that was near and dear to everyone's hearts. Apparently with news of Harold's upcoming trial everyone wanted a piece of the world's most recent serial killer including the young reporter featured on the screen who was standing on the stairs.

"Thanks Dyanna." The young reporter nodded toward the screen, one hand clasped around his right ear which had an ear piece to keep in contact with the home office, the other clasped a microphone. "With the upcoming trial of Harold-" Lance tuned the man out for a little while as he took his appearance in. Black suit, neatly pressed, a nice maroon tie. Crap, he looked good. Handsome as ever and no doubt he was still a hit with the ladies. Even as the man stood there trying to be serious as he discussed a very serious topic Lance could practically see the rays of sunshine that wanted to escape from his lips. "The estimated victim count is up to around fourteen including-" Lance tuned him out again. He had endearing eyes and looked like the boy next door. No doubt that's how he got the job. "I'm William Barett. CNN News."

"I hate him." Lance Sweets murmured under his breath as he slumped down a bit in his chair watching the young man with the perfect hair on the television set.

"Mind sharing with the class?" Came Seeley Booth's voice from the door pointing toward the tv as nonchalantly as possible. "So what have you got against that kid doing the news?"

Lance shook his head and turned back to watch the television set as he slumped even further down into the chair, his pale hands folded just above his lap. "He went to highschool with me before I was home schooled." The psychologist explained as he continued watching the news. "Real privileged kid. Always got everything he ever wanted from his dad and knew he was high school royalty because of it. And abused his power by picking on me constantly." Lance sighed shaking his head his dark eyes watching the figure on the television set.

"Wow." Seeley stepped into the room with his hands shoved in his pants pockets. "So you _were _one of those kids. That explains why you won't get off my back all of the time." The agent commented, shaking his head. "You're getting some sort of twisted revenge. Real encouraging let me tell you Sweets, that my own psychologist isn't stable." Booth said if only just to bug the young man, he did have lots of fun doing that.

"That's not true and you know it Agent Booth." Sweets shook his head, reaching forward he took the remote and turned the television off. He would have moved to get up, but Booth stopped him.

"I brought Parker for his evaluation before the trial and all.." Seeley went on and then the little Booth boy appeared in the door wearing his faded jeans and a t-shirt. His hands, like his fathers, were tucked into his pants pockets and he seemed equally as unsure about being there.

"Hey there Parker." Lance immediately sat right up as if about to stand in his surprise but managed to hold back for some reason. "How are you doing?"

"Alright." The young boy shrugged his shoulders and then moved over toward the chair before plopping down. He looked like any young boy. Antsy to leave to do whatever his little heart pleased and yet seemingly unaffected by what had happened. The resilience of the young. Now if only others could embrace that outlook. "My dad said you have to talk to me before the trial."

"That's correct Parker." Lance smiled kindly though not in a condescending manner before he looked over toward the boy's father who had now overstayed his welcome and wasn't getting the hint. "You can wait outside Agent Booth." Seeley blinked in response as though confused and Lance found himself having to repeat what he said, as often was the case with the agent. "Agent Booth. Outside..."

Finally Seeley got the hint and gave a little nod before slowly edging his way out the door. Craning his neck back inside to get one last glimpse he then grasped the handle and slowly pulled it close, obviously buying time to check in with his boy as long as possible but Lance was patient, though slightly irritated, and waited for the door to click shut.

"So how have you been doing Parker?" Lance finally asked with a gentle smile as he spoke to the young boy who he had come to know pretty well. He knew that the boy was quite intelligent, a result of being extremely well brought up by both of his parents and being exposed to all sorts of people, so beating around the bush just because he was a child would be a waste of time. "You want a soda? I've got Mountain Dew.." He began, starting to look over his shoulder toward his mini fridge.

"My mom and dad let my join a soccer team." Parker went on, not responding to the request for a Mountain Dew but Lance got up and pulled one out anyways. "I'm a forward. My coach says I'm really good."

"That's great Parker." Lance handed the young man a green can. "And your dad's alright with you playing a sport like soccer?"

"Yeah. I'm too small to play football right now but I really wanted to play and he said I could after Captain Fantastic had a talk with him." Parker went on and Lance already knew about 'Captain Fantastic', Rebecca's man who Parker obviously felt threatened by because he was replacing his father. It was the age old story which was the result of a breakup when a child was involved. "But I'm really good and my parents come to all the games they can." Parker flipped the tab off the soda and it fizzed momentarily before he took a sip. "

"That's great Parker. That's really great." Lance nodded looking to his lap before looking back up at the boy. "And how have you been feeling lately? Keeping up in school?" Formalities of course, and yet there was a greater point to it all. Straight and to the point.

"I got a B on my social studies practice. I did it on Rome." Parker nodded and took another sip of his soda. Energy soda, his dad or mother would have to deal with the result later. "But you're asking about the bad guy aren't you?"

"Yes Parker." Lance gave a nod as he was caught, and quite quickly. "I am."

"I'm not scared anymore if that's what you're asking." Parker shrugged though he appeared the slightest bit uncomfortable as he sat the soda down on the little table in between the two of them. "I used to be, but not anymore. My dad doesn't get scared about it, so I won't."

Now Lance doubted that was true, the example was leaning against his door right now trying to hear, but if it was good enough reasoning for Parker, it was good enough for him. "That is some of the best advice I've heard in a while Parker." Reaching for his clipboard he quickly jotted something down before calling out: "You can come back in now Agent Booth!"

The door opened up and in stepped Agent Seeley Booth, perhaps a little too eagerly. The session, though short, had been productive, and even if it was four hours long he still would have been there for his son. He'd do anything for that boy. He'd go beyond the call of duty and then some.

"So what have we got Sweets?" Booth asked as he stepped behind his son, resting his hand protectively on the boy's shoulder.

"Parker has an excellent ability, which most children do, to separate themselves from certain dark voids in their lives. He is able to do that when discussing the recent events in his past that this trial has to do with." Lance tried to keep it vague and light so not to throw Parker off the tracks that he already seemed to be on. "I believe that he can withstand trial and testify."

"Knew he would." Seeley nodded smiling as though his son had won a big trophy, he got proud for the most ridiculous reasons: the signs of a father. "Now what?"

"He can testify but as for the other party-" Lance said before he was cut off.

"Krys." Parker looked up, blinking worriedly. He did want to protect his friend. Was something wrong with her?

"She has a knack for avoiding things she doesn't want to deal with." Lance went on, his voice still gentle and calm. "But Miss Julian has a knack for pursuing those things to an almost forceful capacity when in the search of justice."

Another quiet as the three males pondered some sort of answer, or just something to say to break this horrid quiet that had befallen them. That's when Seeley had the idea, but he absolutely hated himself for having it. But the bottom line was if they didn't do it this Harold man had less of a chance of being convicted 100% and he wasn't about to put his son in danger. He couldn't risk that.

"I think I know how." Booth announced lowly.


	8. Chapter 7

7CHAPTER SEVEN

"I said no. I keep saying no." Krys said, her voice mounting with tension and exasperation. "Wjy won't anyone listen to me?"

"Because we need your testimony. You know that Krys." Lance attempted with a gentle voice though it was quite clear he was faltering.

"Then you shouldn't have said that I have the option when it's a blatant lie. Don't lie and tell me I have the choice when I really don't." She was turning red in the face as she glared at him, perhaps unfairly. "You don't do that to a person."

"I'm not enjoying watching this." Doctor Brennan said softly from the other side of the two way mirror as she looked into the interrogation room which currently contained a very quiet, out of his element Doctor Sweets and the data analyst sitting across from him at the table.

"And you think I am, Bones?" Agent Booth asked from right beside her his eyes focused on the two with a heavy guilt as he braced himself for what he was about to do if she didn't agree in the next few moments.

"She clearly doesn't wish to be in there." Doctor Brennan continued, her arms moving across her chest. "Sweets clearly doesn't wish to be in there under the current conditions, or at all."

"You're going to go right back to that room they stuffed you in Krys." Lance tried to warn quietly, trying to be as delicate as he could be with such a rough topic.

"Maybe I want to go back there!" She said right back with much force to her voice now. "I don't want any more field assignments. I just want to go back to my boring room every single day and go home every single night. That's all I want. I don't want any of this." Krys immediately pushed herself up and away from the table and moved toward the wall crossing her arms tightly over her chest in a self given hug. "I didn't even want to come back to this lab. I just wanted to stay where I was and you couldn't even let me have that. You people had to take that away from me too!" Sweets knew this was because of what had happened months ago with the serial killer, that she was hurting, and now it was just starting to show.

Booth shifted about where he stood but Temperance was much more grounded despite her slender form. "You clearly don't wish to do this, so why are we?"

"For the sure fire conviction, Bones. To keep this man in prison for as long as we can." Booth rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand.

Temperance studied him closely in quiet. "You're lying." Booth diverted his eyes and Temperance knew for sure. "You still feel guilty for whatever you're about to do."

"Alright you got me." Booth nearly snapped though not in a threatening matter, more so a frustrated one. Catching his breath he shook his head and looked back to the two in the interrogation room. "But someone needs to." And with that he stepped toward the door leading to the room and opened it, appearing behind Krys who quickly turned her gaze to the agent blinking with confusion.

"Agent Booth." Her voice was quiet despite her slightly reddened, and previously angered, face.

"Kiddo, I'm sorry, but you have to testify." Booth said in a raced voice as Doctor Temperance Brennan looked on like she was watching some messed up tv show.

Krys stared for a moment in awe before she managed to stutter out: "N-No! I won't."

"You have to." Seeley said firmly as he looked down at her, but she was defiant.

"No."

"This is our only chance to give that man exactly what he deserves." His voice was rushed now.

"Find someone else!" In feeling very overwhelmed she moved to step toward the door but Booth blocked her, managing to back her right into a corner as Lance looked on quietly.

"Listen kid, I know it's been rough. I know. I was a wreck when Parker was gone, he was scared to. He is scared." Booth's voice went a mile a minute, and though firm, was also very soft. "And I know you are too." Krys attempted to step away but Seeley grasped her by the shoulders giving her a squeeze. "I know you are, and it's okay. We'll be there for you. All of us. Nothing bad will happen to you as long as I'm around. Just like always."

_Like always? _Temperance found herself listening intently with a furrowed brow on the other side of the mirror.

The poor girl's eyes had gone wet now and her bottom lip was trembling as though on the verge of tears and it looked like the mere site nearly ripped Seeley's heart out as he struggled to speak. "You've gotten through bad before. Your dad and the drinking.. I know."

"And.. And.. He stopped." She swallowed. "And... And...You helped with that." The data analyst managed to get out in a soft shaky voice as though she was on the verge of breaking but desperately wanted to believe in something. Anything.

"I did." Booth nodded his head and Temperance couldn't ignore the shaking that was threatening his usually strong voice. "And we fixed that. That and the jail time. We fixed that and it's in the past. We can get this in the past too. Okay? We'll do it." He leaned his head forward so that they were eye to eye and she couldn't look away. "We will."

Lance meanwhile was making his own parallels. Krys' father had been a drinker, Booth's had as well, and he had helped her when he was younger. It made sense for their own paths to intertwine, especially with Booth's need to constantly help those less fortunate. He always had this obligation and for a moment, Sweets pitied him, but as usual, he looked up to him in huge amounts. He was a fantastic person.

Krys seemed to think on it for a long few moments before her brain was no longer able to process the thought and she couldn't even speak. Her lips could only hang open like she had said something but no sound came out.

But Booth wasn't about to let her get away. He wouldn't let her run. "In order to get this guy we need you. _I _need you this time."

"Okay. Okay!" The room went quiet with her last demand nearly shaking the sturdy walls. Temperance found herself holding her breath, awaiting the next few words. "I'll do it."


	9. Chapter 8

8CHAPTER EIGHT

It was a bright sunny day as Lance Sweets stood on the court steps near Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth. His hands in his pockets he was in the midst of conversation with the two. Parker wasn't around for this day but only because all thought it was best that he only showed up when it was absolutely necessary (mainly the day that he needed testify and that day only).

Krys however had agreed to come to watch the trial, for whatever reason other than to build her self confidence so she didn't flip out when she eventually had to go on the stand when she saw the man that tortured her so. She would only do this if she could sit near Booth and he had agreed, but Krys wasn't around yet. She was probably going to drag out her having to be there as long as possible. No one could blame her. They wanted to do the same.

"I don't get it." Booth stated simply with a bit of a shrug as he stood along side his partner.

"Me neither." Bones agreed with a nod as the two spoke to one another excluding Lance Sweets. "I have to admit his need to bond together with us and follow us around is a bit concerning." Even the great anthropologist could be coy when the situation called for it.

"So our psychologist is in need of his own psychologist for his needy ways." Booth chuckled as he took a sip from his coffee that he got from the deli down the street.

"I would have to agree." Temperance nodded her head quite enjoying this little mental game they were playing with Lance.

"You see? This whole excluding the third party, usually me, from your discussion, it's been ongoing since the day we met." Lance pointed out appearing rather antsy to prove his point that was, as usual, ignored by the team. "I deserve to be informed."

"Sweets!" Booth interupted with a sudden seriousness in his eyes though he was doing it just to mock him. "You don't get to know everything." It was then that his brown eyes brightened. "He can't stand not knowing something!"

Temperance inclined her head. "Is that true Sweets?"

"N-N-No!" The psychologist blurted out before looking to the ground. He was well aware that his inability to not know something about people, or not being able to read someone, often drove him bonkers. He just wished that his patients weren't able to pick up on it.

"It is." Booth clapped his hands together and rubbed them as if he just got ahold of a great big secret. "He can't stand it. It's eating him up inside." He emphasized his point with a poke at Lance's chest that caused the young man to take a step back and had to regain his balance.

"Is it Sweets? Is it up eating you?" Temperance declared with a little smile and her own brightness, actually excited that she could be a part of a little playfulness that she didn't often get to relish in.

"Eating up, Bones." Booth corrected though his smile remained. Though her social awkwardness bugged some he actually found it incredibly endearing... Most of the time.

"It's not." Lance argued with a frown, tugging at his suit coat trying to fix it so it was presentable and Caroline wouldn't give him a lecture about looking like a mess. "Really. It's not." He reaffirmed though the tone of his voice gave it all away as the two infamous partners laughed at him.

"Vincent!"

Lance turned around at the sound of Krys' voice just in time to see her running down the courthouse steps and toward something with a large smile. She was wearing black dress pants and a nice professional looking top with a black coat over it. She looked different, Lance noticed that over the last few times he had seen her. Unlike a few months ago during the serial killers spree where she walked around in pajamas and sweaters. Something had changed... Or maybe she just had more time on her hands. It only took a second for Lance to figure out who exactly she was running to, though it was kind of obvious by her excited calling.

There stood Vincent Nigel-Murray on the bottom step. His brown hair had grown out a little bit since the last time he had been in the states before his departure to work on a dig. His eyes were still bright though, like a young boy's, and though his appearance was a bit more mature, more weathered, he still looked like the bright young man that had stood at the Jeffersonian lab a few months ago. He had at least managed to get into a suit somewhere between the airport and the courthouse, probably having changed in Wendell's car (Cam and Caroline had arranged for Vince to stay with his fellow intern's apartment), so he at least managed to look presentable. And judging by the startled look on his face mixed in with a smile, Lance could tell he was happy to be back and already a bit more confident (at least enough so to give Krys a hug back which he never would have done ages ago). Apparently the dig he had been on had done wonders for his self esteem.

Lance, Booth, and Doctor Brennan looked on from the top stairs as Vincent released Krys and the two started talking, though they couldn't hear what the two were saying. Only that Vincent nodded occasionally and then had to explain something, all being done as they stepped up the courthouse stairs along side one another stopping next to the group of three and just in time for a random Vincent fact.

"Did you know that over 83% of the population of the world will respond to 'I missed you' with 'I missed you too'?" He phrased toward Krys who gave a soft smile and shoved him lightly. Now Vincent looked toward the three and gave a tired little smile, still experiencing some jet lag. "Only 3% will respond in the manner just demonstrated." His friendly eyes grazed over his past employees. "Hello, hello, hello." He greeted in his usual manner.

"Mister Nigel-Murray." Temperance nodded in a stern greeting, she was still a bit bitter that when he wasn't on her rotation he had gone overseas for a dig. In her mind it was almost like cheating in a relationship. Luckily Booth was there to pick up her social awkwardness slack.

"Glad to have you back." He encouraged giving the young man's arm a light, almost fatherly punch with his fist. "And Bones is too, even though she's god awful at showing it." He added and Temperance narrowed her eyes at the agent.

"Vincent. Glad you got here alright." Lance smiled in a very friendly manner doing his best not to look at the girl at his side out of fear of making her uncomfortable. He wasn't checking up on her because Vincent was there, he knew the two were only friends, he just was worried about her. If she only knew...

"I am as well." Vince admitted with a bit of a nervous laugh at his own joke which he quickly quieted when he realized they were staring at him. "Admittedly, that was a silly comment and I'll refrain from making them during the course of this investigation."

"Now that'll be something to see." Came Cam's voice from behind the group as she stood by the courthouse door giving them a nod. "It's time to start."

Lance Sweets sat in the court room between Angela and Jack. As he glanced around he had to say that the proceedings, despite the filled seats, were of the usual routine. Judge, jury, everyone was quiet and polite, and even when Harold was brought in no one yelled or threw anything. If anything, it just got even more quiet. He was scruffy, no doubt worn from his short stint in prison so far, shadows under his eyes suggested lack of sleep. An insomniac. Sweets could make his own justifications but he'd save that for when he was up on the stand.

The judge had already given his stern lecture about outbursts and court room behavior and Lance suddenly felt like he was in a college dorm being lectured by an RA. Why did the judges in these parts have to be so darned... Intimidating? No matter how scary the judge was though he was nothing compared to Caroline who was now giving her opening remarks.

"I'm the prosecutor in this trial and it's my job to prove to you that the defendant murdered over fourteen individuals." She explained to the jury calmly. "This man is a cold blooded killer. The man sitting just across from you." It was there that she pointed right at Harold who could only stare at her. "I am here to prove to you that the best place for this man is not in a mental institution, or free on the streets, or anywhere else other than a prison cell. That man went through various methods including slashing, shooting, acid, and other awful situations that you can't dream about even in your nightmares.." It was around this point that Lance tuned her out and her voice only became murmurs.

Lance turned his head searching the courtroom for faces. He could see Wendell and Vincent sitting next to one another toward the back. Cam was seated next to Doctor Brennan and next to her was obviously Agent Booth. And next to Booth, as promised, sat Krys Robin.

Her eyes were focused straight ahead watching the front of the courtroom and Lance knew exactly why. Her kidnapper, the man who almost killed her, was sitting close (though about 6 rows away) and he didn't even know she was there, but maybe she thought he did. It was normal to worry, normal to panic, but never the less Lance was concerned.

Allowing his lips to part and his brow to furrow he couldn't help but admire her. Even sitting there as sad as she was he was drawn to her. And Krys wasn't a super model. Heck, if you asked anyone on the streets she looked average, certainly not someone your eyes would shoot towards first in a room as a result of looks... But there was something about her. Something that made him want to stand up and weave through all of the people to give her a hug and that thought alone, though he didn't give into it, made her gorgeous in his eyes.

Oh god... Maybe _he _needed to see a psychologist.


	10. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

"Great idea about going out after court." Lance spoke up as he sat on the curb, his lanky black pant clad legs practically up to his chest with how tall he was. He appeared a bit messed up perhaps even flushed but he was smiling a tired smile that was hinting at a good time. A green beer bottle was clasped between his long fingers, he could feel the coolness radiating off of it. "I think it's safe to say that we all needed a little break."

"_Really _good idea." Wendell echoed with a nod as he lifted his own beer bottle to his lips and took a swig.

"Yeah. Nothing better than sitting on the curb sipping a beer because we all look too baby faced to get in anywhere." Krys announced which caused both young men, plus Vincent to turn around and look her way.

Lance soon found a chuckle escaping his lips and when Krys turned quickly to look at him he felt he found himself flush. "What?" He blinked, still finding it difficult to wipe the silly, somewhat intoxicated smile off his lips. "It's funny." He added as his tie loosened even further around his neck.

"Cheers gentlemen." Vincent announced on his way to intoxicated land, even for a well behaved Brit. All three raised their glasses and then Vincent lulled his head over to look at Krys with a little smile. "And honorary gentlemen." Krys smiled sluggishly and shook her head, finally raising her own Smirnoff bottle. "To the success of the trial."

"To the Jeffersonian." Wendell added as he looked up toward the night sky where all their bottles were gathering.

"To finding people my age who are as much out of their element as I am." Lance raised his bottle and continued smiling quite sloppily.

"To a night OUT!" Wendell interjected using his free hand to point he almost fell forward into the street on his stomach but Krys caught him and with a grunt hoisted him back onto the curb.

"To sitting on this curb with a beer like I'm in highschool again." Krys added as all three young men looked in her direction curiously. "I was a very mature high schooler."

"I find it quite peculiar that you Americans call it highschool while we refer to them as universities." Vincent went on, shrugging his shoulders he took a long swig though he wasn't quite done with his point. "Did you know that..." He lost his train of thought and started over, cringing some as if trying to find the words. "Didyouknow..?" Looking to the floor he shook his head. "Did you know... No."

"Get used to that Wendell." Krys spoke toward the blonde as Vincent silenced himself by taking another long sip of his beverage. "You'll be hearing that a lot more often now that you two are roomies." Krys smiled like it was something horribly entertaining and as she laughed a quiet sort of laugh in her own inebriated state she leaned forward her hands landing on Lance's leg so to steady herself. The psychologist noticably blushed a perfuse red.

"Whoah. Easy there." He coaxed softly, without realizing his hands reached out and braced her back. She was warm in his hands, he could feel her breathe, even through the material of her clothing he could feel soft skin. His heart skipped a beat and he felt his throat become dry. "You're a total lightweight." Now Sweets had never had a normal life because of his advanced knowledge and beginning college when he was fifteen, but he had heard those words uttered before from the older kids on campus who ignored him, and until now he never had a reason to use them. But just then, they had come out. Sadly he had some alcohol in him so it didn't really process as much as the psychologist would usually allow it to.

"Oh no." Vincent blinked in utter shock which caused everyone to turn around and look at him in question. "I can't seem to recall my fact." He uttered in disbelief which caused everyone else to laugh. "This is extremely disheartening."

"It'll be okay Vince." Krys reassured as she moved now to balance herself on his lap, much to Sweets' dismay. He had actually liked having her so close. "You'll remember at least half a billion of them tomorrow." Her hand moved to rest on his shoulder and she playfully moved him back and forth though Vincent refused to smile. Wendell meanwhile chuckled and took another gulp while Sweets did the same.

"Look at us." Lance commented with a smile, gesturing outward he tucked his empty beer bottle into the cardboard container before picking up another one. He couldn't remember ever just hanging out. Usually he was working, but today he had friends, friends his age just as smart as he was, and it felt good. "The youngest and brightest minds gathered on one curb outside a bar."

"Pub." Vincent corrected with an eager voice doing his own rounds of cheers before taking another swig.

"Do you think Doctor Brennan, Agent Booth, and all them ever do something like this?" Wendell asked as he stared into the night thoughtfully, as thoughtful as he could be anyways.

"I'm sure they do. They're only human." Krys nodded, taking another sip as she finished off the drink and passed it down the line so that the empty bottle could be discarded. "Really they're not so different from any of us... I mean, if you think about it, you guys are the Booth's and Brennan's of the future." Okay, this made little to no sense, but amongst friends, it seemed to.

"I get to be Doctor Brennan!" Vincent called out so that Wendell couldn't call the title, though the blonde didn't seem too upset.

"I get to be Booth then." Wendell nodded and Sweets frowned as he craned his neck to look at the intern.

"I wanted to be Booth." Lance frowned. He had always wanted to be as bold and as strong as the FBI Agent, they were getting so far in their sessions after all.

"Sorry man." Wendell apologized, he actually felt a tad guilty for calling the title but it was one thing he wasn't going to roll over about. Looking over to the side he pointed with his bottle toward the data analyst. "You're Doctor Hodgins."

"Me?" Krys blinked with a frown of confusion. "Why?"

"Because..." Wendell winced a bit as suddenly his head hurt and he couldn't think of the reasoning. Not exactly anyways. "I spend a lot of time with Doctor Hodgins, and you're it."

"Right then." Krys nodded, in this state that was a good enough reasoning and she leaned forward, clasping her hands together.

"Whoah wait." Lance exclaimed as a thought finally settled in that caused his eyes to widen.

"What?" Krys looked his way.

"That makes me Angela. She's the only one left!" Lance went on with a worried, almost childlike expression. "I don't want to be a girl!" He retorted, now he _definitely_ felt like he was a kid again.

"I'm sorry dude, you're the girl." Wendell laughed, finding the whole ordeal horribly amusing. "But if it makes you feel any better you're very attractive."

"Ridiculously attractive." Vincent hicupped before finishing off his beverage and declaring aloud: "You know. These American beverages aren't half bad."

"God bless America." Krys shrugged her shoulders with a smile as she attempted to stand, her hands reaching out to rest on Lance's shoulders as she got to her feet. Lance's hands moved to rest atop of hers, bracing her, out of instinct. "The laser tagging was a lot of fun guys. Lots of fun." Removing her hands from his shoulders she nearly tripped over her own two feet and

Lance found himself moving to his feet as if an attempt to grasp her but he never made contact. "Where are you going? You have to stay!" Doctor Sweets proclaimed almost whimsically, he really didn't want this night to end. It had been great fun, going laser tagging, to a diner, and various other venues that were open late. He couldn't even remember them all and he was willing to bet that it was a signature of a good time. "It's only.." He looked to his watch but all he saw were blurs. "It's early!" Was all he could settle on in his state of panic by now they were a bit away from the other two young men but neither one had realized.

"Is not." Krys retorted with a little smile as she stumbled back while facing the psychologist, a silly little smile on her face. She then moved to walk away but in her own drunken state she stumbled back around to face him. "You want to know something?"

Lance gave a little nod. "I'd be very interested in knowing what you know." Lance responded honestly, sobering up immediately, as much as he could.

"You're actually a lot of fun." She stated outright, nodding as she went on. "Once you get out of that suit you're a lot of fun." Blinking she caught herself. "Not naked or anything. Like I mean, when you come out and actually hang out.." She went on, wrapped up in her own words she stumbled forward and pointed boldly right up at his chest. Lance could only laugh turning bright red as he looked down at her, having fun in the moment, that was until Krys blinked up at him, her smile fading right up against him. "Sometimes."

"Well, thanks." Lance admitted quietly and he gently reached his left hand up and rested it atop the data analyst's. It was a genuine gesture, nothing intimidating or even scary about it. As his fingers clasped around the top of her knuckles he took in how warm she was. "You're a lot of fun too Krys."

Krys' lips curved in a bit of a smile as she laughed to herself, still up against him. "Heh.."

"What?" Lance tilted his head in confusion.

She looked up at him matter of factly, her voice soft. "You're not analyzing me right now."

"No, Krys." Lance couldn't bring himself to smile though inwardly, he was beaming. "I'm not."

Her lips curved into an even bigger smile. "I can tell." And then, as if unable to hide her usual sarcasm and boldness back she continued on. "How come you call everyone else by their titles? But you call me Krys... I find that weird."

Lance found his thumb trading idle circles around the flesh of Krys' knuckles and he didn't ever want it to end. "Oh." He blinked as he looked right at her face, he hadn't even realized he was doing it. His brow furrowed in thought, momentarily confused as he often was in her presence. "I have no idea."

"Robin! There's a cab here for you." Vincent called out from the curb, or at least that's what Lance thought until the young intern slid into view, a grinning Wendell right behind him. "Hello, hello, hello.." He nodded to both as Krys stepped away from the psychologist and for the first time Lance found himself wanting to swat the man, and he knew others in the lab felt the same especially when the man was spewing random facts, though this was quite different.

"Sorry I have to head out guys." Krys apologized as she began to walk away, trying to keep herself upright. "I have an interview tomorrow."

Lance blinked with a frown. "An interview?" Why wasn't he told about this?

"Yeah. With a William Barrett." Krys responded and Lance immediately felt his stomach do a sickening turn. "It's not for television or anything but he's writing an editorial and he wants to talk to me. Apparently he's already spoken to Parker so if I don't do it I'll feel like a complete wuss."

"Krys wait." Lance called out, jogging beside her as best he could before realizing his error. "Miss Robin wait.... Krys Robin.. Robin.. KRYS." He stopped beside her, a bit out of breath he spoke softly and with great measure. "You don't have to do that. Not if it makes you uncomfortable."

"The thing is Sweets, if I can't talk to one guy, how am I gonna do it in front of a whole courtroom?" Krys gave a little shrug though she was obviously putting on the brave face before she turned away leaving Lance with the two interns.

It was quiet other than the sound of the cab pulling away for a good while before Vincent finally decided to chime in with a rather loud: "Is anyone in the mood for waffles?!"


	11. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

"You've been exceptionally quiet today Booth." Temperance Brennan deducted as nonchalantly as possible from across the diner table near the window, their usual seat at the Royal Diner.

"Huh?" Agent Booth grunted in the midst of a bite of his grilled cheese, really wanting to avoid discussion but his partner didn't seem to have the same view.

"Since the trial started, you haven't been your usual self. You aren't disagreeing with me nearly as often, you're not as defiant as you often are about my life choices, you're not offering much of anything than a silent nodding head." Temperance set the fork down in her salad as she looked to the man across from her. "In fact I think it was even before the trial-"

"Bones." Booth attempted to warn her, really not wanting to talk about what he knew she was going to bring up.

"Since you convinced Miss Robin to testify." Temperance finished which caused Seeley Booth to stop any movement instead he stared down at the table top with a heavy sigh. "Why is it whenever that young woman is within a five mile radius you and Doctor Sweets are rendered completely usel-"

"Don't you compare me to Sweets, Bones." Seeley warned though it wasn't in an intimidating fashion. This was just something he believed very strongly in. "Not even if you're joking."

"I don't joke." The anthropologist responded simply, unphased causing Booth to sigh and look back to his plate. This was something the scientist couldn't just ignore. "You have to admit that your entire work ethic has suffered. You're not nearly as... forceful... As you've been in the past." She was careful in her choice of words because she remembered that Seeley had once told her that words could affect people more than they ever did her. "You're being extremely delicate with the manner, and you're not a delicate man."

"Thank you." Seeley nodded but Temperance couldn't let him have that.

"It wasn't intended as a compliment, it was an observation, I never justified whether it was a positive or negative one." She tucked her thin light brown strands behind her ears blinking thoughtfully, unaware, as usual, if she had said anything to offend.

'Alright. I get it, Bones." Seeley murmured as he decided that he wasn't going to finish his grilled cheese and lightly pushed it aside.

"I do not think that you do, or else you would have provided a response." Temperance continued, never much of one to take a hint. "I can't help but wonder why you're putting up, what Doctor Sweets would call, such a defensive front." Her eyes searched her partner's face in the quiet, other than the sounds of the diner, before she found the words, as soft and gentle as they were. "What is it about her that gets you like this? You said as partner's we're supposed to tell each other everything. You're not ending up your hold."

"Holding up my end, Bones." Seeley corrected gently, though there was a heaviness to his voice. "It's holding up your end." He massaged his temples with another sigh, unable to look at her in that moment. "One of my first days at the FBI on my own case I got a call. Someone was hacking into our systems. A 'rogue' they called it. So I suit up, get a team together, and for two months we plan our attack and finally we circle the home and go in to bust it up." Seeley closed his eyes for a moment as he recalled everything about that day, the smells, the sight, even the taste. "We go in. It's empty. The kids are in school. We suspected the father. We hurry up the stairs and open the office the door and there's this... This girl. Fifteen, sixteen, in her pajamas."

"Krys." Doctor Brennan nodded quietly as she pieced it together.

"I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. This little girl.." Booth shook his head.

"Technically, by all rules of society she'd be considered a young woman." This time Temperance had been the one to correct phrasing.

"Either way." Seeley went on, finally looking up at his partner. "We bring her in. Question her, an attorney present so she doesn't say anything other than that she did it just for fun. No reason at all. Just to prove that she could. What girl says that?"

"A fairly intelligent one who's creativity is being stifled." Doctor Brennan responded seriously.

"Whatever she was, she was in there for a while.. Twelve hours. Probably illegal but I responded to a higher up back then. A long chain." Suddenly Booth found himself wishing that he had coffee. He needed it badly. "I manage to sneak in there around midnight, I bring her some pretzels. I felt terrible. Guilty. Way different than I've ever felt when I was a sniper. It was new to me. And I had a kid back home. I had Parker... So I tried to understand. That's when she told me..." Booth seemed pained as he spoke the words, not very proud despite all that he had done to help her. "She confided in me in passing about her old man's drinking problem. Like, as nonchalantly as possible. She just kind of, shrugged it off and then went back to scribbling on some paper she found."

"And with your history with your father you couldn't let it pass." Temperance finished for him which caused Seeley to swallow.

"I got her a spot on the FBI, convinced the heads that she had more to offer us than in prison. Luckily, I was right." Seeley sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"You're correct more often than you think." Temperance added, leaning forward a bit.

"Got lucky." Booth cut her short, squeezing the table in front of him so to relieve tension. "Looked into her family situation. Got her dad into A.A. Turns out she got into computers because it was a quiet room in the house. It was a whole new world where she could... Escape." He finished before he couldn't even look his partner in the eye.

"You didn't have that." Temperance said softly, and for a moment she felt like she understood (though she had never been abused like Seeley had).

"No." Booth said solemnly. "No I did not." Leaning forward in his seat he now laid his arms down on the table top. "Krys is... She was my first case. My first good case and probably the best result I ever had... Until last year."

"And she wouldn't have done as well as she did without you, Booth." Temperance attempted to cheer him up even though the man wouldn't look at her.

Seeley lifted his eyes finally. "You don't know that."

"I assure you. I'm quite intelligent and I do." Temperance Brennan responded surely before doing something she never would have expected and reached forward, resting her hand atop of her partner's.

Seeley's eyes remained on hers and for a moment he saw a glint of humanity in them. Something that drew him to her, something so beautiful just like the intelligent woman before him. And, turning his hand around on the table he lightly wrapped his fingers around her hand, holding it. Her slender fingers that were constantly at work were surprisingly soft in his grasp.

"Well, you are smart." Seeley couldn't help but smile as Temperance returned it.


	12. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The trial the next day had been relatively routine. Caroline brought up a few of the victim's family members to testify, Doctor Brennan testified with a lot of giant words about the wounds on victims, and even Doctor Saroyan was on the stand for a good long while discussing the logistics of the case. Krys was no where to be found but it wasn't her day to testify and Lance knew she had an interview with William Barrett so it wasn't anything alarming.

After the trial Lance went out to dinner with his newfound friends Vincent and Wendell at what Vincent referred to as a 'pub' though none of them got sloshed. Just a casual drink and some hot wings and then he headed back home. A quick shower and hot pocket later (plus watching some Adult Swim on his couch) Lance Sweets was tucked into bed and fast asleep curled up on his side by one in the morning.

It was during a dream where he was a Jedi knight fighting off Sith lords that he heard a light thudding. Very light. At first he thought it was part of the dream and just rolled onto his other side with a soft groan, but then it happened again. And then again, the thuds a bit more rapid in succession now. He could even make out what they were: knocks. Someone was knocking on his door. Rolling onto his other side again he rubbed at his eyes, murmuring something inaudible he made out the red blinking blurs of his alarm clock. 3:40 AM.

He blinked once again in disbelief, it didn't quite register all the way. Who could possibly be at his door at this hour? Rolling onto his front he moved onto all fours before slinking his plaid pajama clad legs over the side of his bed. Bare feet made contact with the cold wood of the floor. A soft groan and he massaged his temples and ran his fingers through his messy black hair before finally standing and trudging through the bedroom door, across his living room, and toward the front door. All the while the light knocking continued.

"I'm coming.." He grunted softly, rubbing at his eyes again and again. He was so tired, barely awake as it was and he practically leaned all of his weight against the door handle as he opened it. "What do you...." Then he saw who was at the door and his mouth parted partially as his vision finally focused. "Want?.."

There stood Krys wearing a grey coat that was unbuttoned revealing her red pajama pants and a white tank top. Her hands were shoved into her coat pockets and she was practically dwarfed in the doorway, or maybe that was the almost embarrassed manner that she was currently standing in his doorway.

"I can't sleep." The data analyst admitted softly. She couldn't even look him in the eye as she spoke.

"Oh." Lance blinked as he tried to get his thoughts in order though they didn't seem to want to process whether from tiredness or the overwhelming amount of variables that were floating around. "I'm sorry." He didn't know why he said that, or why it came out the way that it had. And yet he couldn't help but be confused about everything. Why she was standing there in her pjs at this hour, why she had come here, how she had come here...

Krys seemed equally as unsure as she stood there outside his door in the apartment hallway, shifting about a bit though she had been the one who had journeyed over. "After my interview with that William guy, I went home and laid in bed for like four hours and I couldn't fall asleep. I've been trying, really I have." Her eyes met Lance's for a second as if she had run out of ways to explain to him what she meant.

"Why are you telling me this?" Lance found himself speaking without thinking, a result of the late hour, as he stood there, looking down at her. It was difficult to hide the innocent, curious expression that lingered on his tired face.

"I was fine after what happened six months ago because after I was around my family. And then after a long enough time of being away from the case I felt a bit better and could be by myself. But now that we're in this trial thing I..." Her voice trailed off as she searched for the words to use as she rambled. "Those nerves just came back and I can't sit home alone because I'm worried that someone will pop out of the corners. I can't walk home anymore because I'm afraid someone will follow." Krys felt ridiculously silly and embarrassed. She knew it was stupid, she realized how ridiculous her actions were, acting on a whim, but lack of sleep shortened your tolerance for certain things. "And you, well you said if I needed anything to give you a call but it's late.."

"So you came to my door instead?" Lance questioned, though tired he couldn't hide his amused smile though maybe it wasn't the best of reactions for the poor girl. He just couldn't help it. This struck him as something Doctor Brennan might do with her disregard for social rules if it wasn't for her own pride.

"I guess it really doesn't make any sense does it?" Krys admitted with a half smile as she rubbed the back of her neck, cursing herself for being so impulsive and stupid. "When you said you'd help any time I guess I shouldn't have taken you so literally."

"Oh." Lance blinked, still not moving from the doorway, but neither was budging.

"Unless you wanted me to take you literally." Krys covered quickly, and for a split second there was a sound of hopefulness to her voice.

Lance felt himself become flustered once again. "I didn't have any intention-"

"No. No. It's okay. I'm just being stupid." Krys managed to cut him off, her face getting redder she turned to walk away.

This caused Lance to frown and straighten right up in quiet defiance. "You're not stupid." She didn't turn to face him so he found himself stepping toward her, lightly grabbing her arm though it was firm enough to turn her around to face him. She refused to look at him but his own brown eyes were stern, unwavering, his expression serious as both of his hands now lightly held either side of her arms, his neck craning downward. He needed her to hear this. "Krys. You're not stupid."

"It's just... I know right now he's held in jail. I know that. I'm not some child but I just can't help but be scared. I hate it. I hate feeling so scared all of the time. I didn't used to be like this." The young woman shook her head and Lance could hear her voice shake and he knew it was because she was on the edge of crying and it broke his heart. He could feel it tearing piece by piece as he watched her struggle. "-And I can't sleep. I haven't slept in days. Every time I close my eyes..." She was trying desperately hard not to look at him but as he braced her he could see the wetness in her eyes. "I'm tired. I'm so tired."

That's when Lance couldn't hold back and he reached out his arms to her back pulling her close. "Sh... It's okay." He hushed her gently, his hand circling her back with a tenderness he didn't know he had. Leaning his head forward he rested his chin on the top of her head, taking in the scent of her hair. Like lilacs. "It's alright." He rocked her a bit though he wasn't quite sure why or what had possessed him. And in that moment he actually felt protective of the woman and wanted to get her out of the hallway.

After a long moment of just holding her, which he was perfectly content doing, he lifted his head, craning his neck so that she could see his face so to coax her. "Come on. Lets get you inside." Lance told her and Krys gave a little sniffle and nod as he gently guided her into his apartment, closing the door behind them he led her to his couch and helped her sit.

Moving to the television in front of the couch he bent down and picked out his personal favorite DVD: Star Wars. Sliding it into his dvd player he pressed play on the remote and then moved back to the couch. He was a psychologist, he knew that it was in her head and yet he wasn't going to take advantage of that, he wouldn't spill anything that he was thinking on her, instead he would just let her be and be there for her.

"Just close your eyes." Lance told her softly, though he wasn't exactly sure where this little spurt of confidence had come from. Krys tilted her head to look at him. "I'll stay with you until morning."

The data analyst gave a nod before laying down on the right side and closing her eyes as the Star Wars movie began to play. Lance did his best to focus on the film, his definite favorite, and tried not to glance at her because that would make him quite a creeper though really he just wanted to see if she was alright.

A few minutes into the movie however a wave of tiredness fell over him and shifting about, very carefully so not to disturb Krys, he laid on the left end, curling his lanky form right up as he closed his own eyes. That's when he felt it.

There was a shifting on the couch and it was only when his own eyes fluttered open that he saw a body right in front of him. His heart did a leap as it pieced together. Krys had moved to his side and had her back pressed up against him in an attempt just to be close, even if it was just for her own comfort Lance couldn't help but feel light hearted. Treading carefully he reached out his arm and draped it over her curled up body which was against his. And she didn't push him away but rather curled her own arm around it loosely, pulling him closer. Her skin was warm against his, he could even feel her heart beat. Slow and steady, no longer racing and nervous. It was calm and secretly he hoped it was because she was in his company.

A bit more shifting at his side and he could relish in the simplicity of the moment. Lance felt a soft, tired smile cross his lips and letting out a sigh he closed his eyes.

_Take that Obi Wan Kanobi._


	13. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

"I find it peculiar that Doctor Sweets didn't appear for our session today." Doctor Brennan proclaimed as she got out of the passenger seat of Booth's SUV outside the apartment complex. "It's very unlike him to not be prompt."

"I know Bones, that's why we're here." Seeley Booth responded as he locked his own door before he walked across the street, the anthropologist at his side. Luckily traffic wasn't too busy around one in the afternoon. Most people were still at work, like Sweets should have been. "Can't let him start to get lazy on us can we?"

"He's never on us Booth." Temperance frowned, once again not understanding the odd phrase. "He usually sits across from us in his office."

"That's not what I meant.. Oh never mind." Seeley shrugged his shoulders as he jogged up the stairs to the apartment and opened the door before journeying into the hall in search of the number they were looking for. "It's good to know that Sweets can't afford to live much better than me with his salary just because he has doctor in front of his name."

"Why is that reassuring at all?" Temperance asked with a curious tilt of her head as they stopped in front of one of the doors. Seeley took care of the knocking but she continued to eye her own partner. "If anything it should be disheartening to you that no matter with what position that you hold the pay fails to increase."

"Thanks for that, Bones." Seeley shook his head knocking again.

"For what? I didn't give you anything." The anthropologist frowned, hopelessly lost but she didn't have time to ask again for the door in front of them opened and there stood Lance Sweets.

He actually looked quite different when not in a suit, which is often how the pair saw him. He stood there wearing a pair of jeans and brown t-shirt with a storm trooper on it, though of course Temperance didn't know that pop culture reference to her it just looked like a mechanical man with a helmet that served no purpose other than clunkiness.

"Doctor Brennan." Lance blinked, a bit confused by the pair in his doorway, one of his hands on the door, the other bracing himself in his door. "Agent Booth. What are you doing here?" A look of worry threatened to pull at his lips and though he did his best to hide it Seeley picked up on it.

"You didn't show up for our session, Sweets." Booth proclaimed as he eyed the young man.

"I practically have to hound you daily to even spend five minutes in my office, most of the time you walk out ten minutes in or degrade me the entire time." Lance carefully deducted, unable to hide his own suspicion with this whole act. "And when you finally have a day off you come to my home and prod me about why I didn't come in?.."

"He has a very valid point, Booth." Temperance warned but that didn't seem to be enough.

"You didn't call." Seeley went on, his focus entirely on the psychologist. "And that's rude." He added before brushing right past Sweets, easily moving him aside so that he could enter, and Temperance followed right behind though she did cast an apologetic look his way.

"So is just walking into my apartment." Lance countered with a roll of his eyes before he gave up and closed the door behind the two. "So, what can I do for you?" He shrugged helplessly, knowing that he couldn't force either of them out as both could probably kick his butt.

"You don't look sick." Seeley went on, trying to make sense of it all as he began to lift up couch pillows in search of 'evidence'. "It's not a holiday."

"I just needed some time off.." Lance's voice trailed off as someone emerged behind Booth in her pajama pants and unfortunately for Lance, in the current company that they were in, one of his shirts that was quite large on her frame.

"Booth.." Temperance pointed out quietly with a nod of her head toward the door causing Seeley to turn around.

"Krys..." Seeley blinked, finding it difficult to mask his initial shock and the rush of various emotions that wanted to escape and be aimed right at the young psychologist, most of which involved mauling.

"Booth." Krys returned back, obviously surprised as she fixed her messy brown hair and tucked the strands behind her ears. "Doctor Brennan." They always seemed to sneak up on her in the oddest places. "Do you need me to go?"

"What I'm going to need is something blunt to hit Sweets over the head with." Booth nearly growled as he spun around in an attempt to grab at the psychologist who just barely strode out of his grasp and went for solace behind the couch, his hands bracing himself against the cushions.

"What are you doing?" The psychologist managed to squeak out in panic avoiding another grab.

"Trying to kill you!" Booth grunted as he jumped toward the man again, nearly catching him.

"That's probably not the best idea, Booth." Temperance warned, oddly calm for the situation as she stood by. Krys however had been stunned for a few seconds before she finally made a move to stop the two. "Seeing as how we solve crimes it would be quite simple for us to solve a murder with us being here and you being the culprit."

"I understand that Bones, but frankly, right now I don't care." Seeley cursed and practically jumped over the couch, grabbing for Lance's arm. "You slept with her?!" He practically roared and Lance noticably winced.

"I didn't!" Lance cried out, trying to free himself.

"You did!" Seeley affirmed, holding him even tighter.

"No he didn't!" Krys argued sternly, though she was a bit wide eyed from the accusation.

"See?! I didn't!" Lance cried out again, nodding his head toward Krys.

"You didn't?" Booth furrowed his brow a bit confused, though his eyes were still locked on the man.

"He didn't!" Krys grunted, trying to pull Seeley's arm off of poor Lance.

"Clearly he did not Booth." Temperance finally spoke up, though her tone was the calmest out of the entire group. "They both said so." And finally, after a long moment of pondering what to do, Seeley released his grasp on the psychologist and let him go, taking a step back.

"I couldn't sleep so I came here." Krys went on to explain, her voice soft as she spoke to the awed Booth. "Sweets said if I ever needed anything I could just ask him. I just came here to talk. That's all."

"That's all?" Booth questioned, not sure if he bought it yet.

"That's all." Krys reaffirmed with a nod as Lance rubbed at his arms and felt how warm they were from being grabbed so hard.

"Just to talk." Lance murmured quietly like a wounded puppy, barely having the heart to look at anyone as he was so darned embarrassed.

"Oh." Seeley swallowed, fixing his suit coat sleeves as he looked to the floor.

"You should apologize Booth." Temperance deducted which caused Seeley's eyes to shoot right up at her. "I've been informed that that's what you're supposed to do in situations like these." She added with a shrug, her arms crossing over her chest as she turned her gaze to watch the exchange and lack of an apology on Booth's part.

"Glad we got that sorted out." Lance gave a nervous, sheepish kind of laugh but with no response, everyone was eerily quiet.

"Yeah. Right." Booth murmured quietly, shaking his head almost unsure of what to do next.

"We should go, Booth." Temperance spoke up and her partner nodded, following her toward the door.

"Me too." Krys spoke up following them to the door after grabbing her coat before looking over her shoulder. "I'll give you your shirt back... Tomorrow, I guess." She gave a weak sort of shrug, as if lost.

"Yeah, alright. That sounds good." Lance responded with a nod, his cheeks a bright red from the argument seconds earlier and he watched the three leave.

Moving toward the door he closed it behind them with a click before resting his forehead against the wooden door and letting out a heavy sigh. What a mess.


	14. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It was too much of a sunny day to be stuck inside for a murder trial, at least in Lance Sweets' opinion. He had somehow managed to sit on the opposite side as Agent Booth. Since their little altercation at his apartment the day before he had avoided the man at all costs, and vice versa. It was just easier that way. In fact it seemed every employee of the Jeffersonian and FBI were avoiding one another for their own separate reasons. Once again, for now with the tension that was involved with the trial, it was probably for the best.

He hadn't spoken to Krys since the awkward morning in his apartment, which had been completely innocent, so when she arrived just in time for the trial and sat beside him, he had been a bit surprised. Then Vincent sat on her other side and it made a bit more sense. Then again, she had said she wasn't going to show up until she had to testify so why was she there now? Lance felt like it'd be inappropriate to ask, it wasn't like he was Doctor Brennan and could get away with such things, so instead he settled for sitting in silence beside her as the trial began with the occasional sideways glance in her direction.

She hadn't looked toward the defense table once, where Harold was seated (though she'd only be able to see the back of his head if she even dared to look up) and Lance could only guess why that was. She had been held hostage by the man after all. But if she couldn't even bare to look up why was she here? Lance looked away from Caroline interviewing someone on the stand and saw a familiar figure toward the back of the room.

There was William Barrett, the infamous reporter himself, arms crossed over his chest where there was standing room only, like it was a show. He remained stoic, quiet, and Lance couldn't help but wonder if there was a line this man wouldn't cross just to get a good story. He doubted it. William always had to be the best at everything, no matter the cost.

Turning his gaze back forward the reason behind Krys' appearance became clear as Caroline's voice filled the room with a bellow.

"The prosecution would like to call Parker Booth to the stand." The announcement was followed by murmurs in the courtroom and Lance noticed Krys look up hesitantly.

The doors in the back of the courtroom entered and in walked Parker, looking quite small in his little suit that was better suited for being in a wedding than at something so serious and terrible. The mop-topped boy was guided right into the witness stand where he sat and was dwarfed behind the wood of the stand noticably not looking at the defense stand much like Krys refused to. After being sworn in the boy was completely on his own. Lance couldn't help it, he looked to Agent Booth who had gone rigid in his seat, and if it wasn't for Doctor Brennan's hand on his arm he would have sprung up to his child's defense.

"State your name for the court please." Caroline began, though she was questioning a child her voice wasn't exactly gentle.

"Parker." The dirty blonde haired boy stated before uncomfortably shifting in his seat. "But you told them that already." He pointed out causing a few to chuckle and Agent Booth to smile ever so slightly.

"You're right I did." Caroline responded with hr own brand of a smile before changing some of her questions around. "You're here because you were taken against your will and held hostage, am I correct?"

"Yes Miss Julian." Parker blinked. "I mean yes ma'am." He had went over court room manners with his father and he didn't want to mess up especially with a bunch of people he knew watching, and then another ton who he had never seen before.

"From where were you taken?" Caroline stepped aside so the jury could see his face.

"From my house." Parker looked to the jury, purposely avoiding Harold now who was drumming on the tabletop trying to distract him. "My babysitter got hit on the head and tied up. I got pushed in a trunk. It was dark. I couldn't see." Parker cringed as Harold coughed loudly, obviously trying to get attention and spook the boy but Parker did his best to look to the jury. Their faces weren't nearly as frightening. "Then he got Krys."

"That's good Parker." Caroline interupted him. That was a problem and topic for another day, she calmly strode to the opposite end of the stand. "Where were you taken?"

"To a small wooden shack in the woods." Parker wanted to shiver at the thought but he toughed it out, all so he could be like his father. "It was dark. He tied us up. He tried to make me drink burning stuff-"A slam on the table caused Parker to jerk his face around just in time to see Harold smirking and then the boy couldn't find his voice.

"Objection your honor." Caroline roared and it was easy to see how even the scariest of criminals could be intimidated. "He's badgering my witness!"

"Sustained." The judge responded before pointing his gavel toward the defense table. "Control your client or he'll be removed." Another murmur and Caroline looked back to Parker to continued.

"A burning liquid?" She phrased with a tilt of her short bobbed red head. "Like acid. Am I correct?"

Parker slowly and painfully tore his gaze away from his past captor and back to Caroline. Blinking he finally found a response. "Yes." Parker lifted his hand to point at a small red dot on his cheek. "A little got on here. See?" The crowd murmured again.

In the bustle and commotion of things Lance looked to his side and that's when he saw Krys' hand. Though it was on her right leg it was clear that her hand was trembling. No, it was absolutely shaking with fear. Lance frowned as his head tilted downward watching this and he felt an immediate twinge of pain in his heart. Pain in seeing her hurting. Pain in seeing the bold young woman so afraid that she was shaking in fear even though she could only see the back of the man's head. He wanted to help her. He needed to and without thinking he found his pale hand moving to gently rest on top of hers, giving it a firm squeeze and thus steadying her. This seemed to be enough, with the slight bit of encouragement she stopped trembling and her hand squeezed back.

"And how long were you held in this makeshift prison?" Caroline continued, her voice calm and collected as always no matter who was on the stand or who was right behind her.

"A long, long time." The boy responded. He had no concept of time. There had been no calendars, no clocks. All he knew was that it felt like forever, and it was the scariest forever that he had ever experienced.

"I ran away. I got out through the window." Parker went on in the midst of questioning, now that his eyes were focused on Caroline he seemed more sure of himself. "A man stopped in the road and brought me to my dad.... We had to go back for Krys." Even then when Caroline had given him a previous warning he couldn't drop it. He had to mention that. And Lance felt Krys lower her gaze defeated.

"If you hadn't escaped... What do you think would have happened?" Caroline phrased carefully, awaiting the boy's answer.

"I think he would have hurt me." The young boy spoke up rather quietly, everyone could hear the strain behind his voice and see it behind his eyes. "He wanted to kill me."

All of a sudden there was a crazy howl from the defense table and Harold had hopped up onto it, crouching like some sort of primal animal. Several people gasped, others shouted, some were too stunned to speak. Agent Booth meanwhile stood right up and hurried past the buzzing crowd to his son, practically throwing the small wooden door open as he scooped him right up protectively. He was his first and only priority.

Lance meanwhile felt Krys tense up and felt her hand squeeze his own very tightly. Blinking he looked with panicked eyes back to the front of the courtroom just in time to see the judge rise to his feet.

"Remove the defendant! This instant! Remove him! Brief recess!" He shouted loudly in a rushed manner but could barely be heard over all of the chaos as Harold was yanked down from the table by two large officers.

"I can't do this." Said a feminine voice from right beside him that he would have been able to identify if it hadn't been for the scene that was unfolding right in front of him.

Lance could only watch wide eyed as everything around him blurred and he somehow found his way to his feet, standing his hands braced the wooden backrest in front of him. Somehow he was able to tear his eyes away from the scene which was now being hoisted out of the room and saw the empty space beside him.

"Krys?" Lance glanced around filled with confusion. Vincent was now beside him but no Krys. Lifting his head he saw her blur rushing toward the back of the courtroom and out the door. Not wanting to give up, that wasn't even a possibility, he pushed past everyone he possibly could, softly uttering quick 'excuse me's' as he raced to the back of the room and out the door.


	15. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"Krys! Krys! Please wait up!" Lance called out as he hustled down the hall way of the courthouse.

It was practically empty toward one end as everyone had been in the courtroom where Harold was currently putting on a scene. Everyone, including the press, had some sort of sick fascination with being there to witness it all. To humor a man who had harmed so many people. _That's the human mind for you._

It had been a while since he had jogged anywhere. Occasionally he had played tennis with Daisy, but that was only so she would get off his back about killing thousands in a video game every night. He didn't enjoy playing sports, he'd rather watch them, not on the television, but live, like in the bleachers back at college. The sort of fun he never got to experience being so young.

He could see the back of her head now. Brown hair just past the shoulders. She was walking with a purpose, not looking back. She was fast but his legs were longer and with a few quick, long strides he caught up to her. Reaching out he grabbed her arm.

"Krys. Where are you going?" He panted. In that moment, he decided that he needed to work out more. She wasn't responding, nor was she facing him, he couldn't take it, but he couldn't let her go either. Not in the state she was in, or might have been in as it were. He couldn't see her face so he couldn't tell. "Krys." He repeated as the young woman finally managed to tug free from his grasp and stepped away. Lance couldn't hide the upset and worried frown that crossed his lips, defeated. One last weak effort. "Krys. Please. Don't go."

It was then that she spun around and Lance could see how red her eyes were from the tears that threatened to fall, much like the night before at his apartment though these tears seemed unavoidable. "I thought I could do this. I really thought I could if I just sucked it up. But I can't." She said all at once in a rush, shaking her head as she purposely avoided his gaze.

"That's okay Krys. It's perfectly understandable." Lance knew with Krys' personality that she was probably avoiding eye contact because she was embarrassed for showing any emotion. "It's perfectly okay that it's bothering you." Lance attempted to reassure in a soft, yet firm voice as he stood by the wall with her, his back protectively masking her from the outside world in the empty hall.

"No. It's not. It really isn't." Krys shook her head, her brown eyes moving back and forth across the hall floor unable to focus. Her right hand moved to nervously rub the back of her neck to the point of redness, a habit that Lance had noticed and quickly reached up, stopping her with a gentle, pale hand.

"And why not?" Lance phrased as he gently pulled her hand away from her neck out of fear that she would rub it raw. His own eyes desperately tried to get hers to focus on him but he was failing and the fact that he wasn't able to do so was causing his own heart to race which affected the tone in which his voice was emerging. "Why isn't it okay for you to be nervous? Or stressed? Or scared?" He said in a raced voice, his hands moved to hold her wrists to keep her from running away or scratching her skin open which could happen in stressed times like this. "It's perfectly normal."

"Not for me." Krys spoke up rather loudly, shaking her head she glanced over her shoulder with a slight cringe. "It's not normal for me and I hate feeling like this. It's not fair. It's not right and it's not normal to feel like this!"

"Okay. And so what?" Lance asked, his own boyish eyes wide open, doing his best not to go into what Agent Booth would call 'therapy mode' and just speak from the heart, which was difficult and he knew would eventually get him into trouble. "So, you're not fine. It's normal not to be fine in situations like these. It's okay to be balled up in the corner over there.." He nodded with his head toward the hall corner. "It's okay to feel like this. It's okay to feel! You don't have to stunt yourself from feeling."

"Parker shouldn't have to be up there on that stand. I shouldn't have to. We've both been through enough and yet we're being paraded around like freaks!" Krys shook her head, still not looking at him. "That kid doesn't deserve that." She pointed down the hall before shaking her head and looking to the floor again, her eyes simply couldn't focus. "I don't want to get up there and be gaped at like some sort of freak. I don't want to be branded as a victim for the rest of my life. I'd rather be meaningless than deal with that."

"You are not meaningless." Lance found himself speaking up in a firm tone, this one not unsure but quite steady and unwavering. "You could never be meaningless." He found the soft words escaping his lips before he could stop them but then he saw Krys looking back and forth unsurely, nervously, as though she couldn't keep her thoughts straight and might have a panic attack in the hall. Maybe she hadn't heard him. That would be common for people in that state.

"You are not meaningless." With this thought Lance's eyes never left her face and he brought his hands to just near her neck, his thumbs on her lower cheeks making her look at him. "You are a lot of things but meaningless is not one of them." Her brown eyes still wouldn't look at him but Lance could feel the wetness just under his thumb's fingertips. Tears. "You're a very controlled person Krys. It's okay to let yourself go every once in a while." He added softly, his lips parting slightly wanting nothing more than to make her feel better.

"Sweets, you're smart. You are. But you're wrong." She looked up with wet shining brown eyes, tears streaking at her cheeks, so helpless as she looked at the psychologist. "It is _not_ okay to feel like this."

"Maybe we're both right." The psychologist offered softly, looking at her face for a good long while until a soft smile spread across his lips.

"What?" The data analyst blinked in confusion with a sniffle.

"Nothing. You're just..." Lance swallowed, his voice barely audible and yet so sure. "Awesomely pretty when you cry." Okay so it wasn't Shakespeare but it was something. And then, without thinking, as he gazed into her eyes he found his hands moving to either side of her cheeks and brought her lips ever so softly to his.

In closing his eyes the kiss had been a soft one, a gentle one. Her lips felt so right against his and he wanted more but would behave. It was innocent. It was gentle, feather light. His fingertips massaged the sides of her face as he kissed her in the court hall, that was until she deepened the kiss, Krys' own hands rising to clasp either sides of his cheeks pulling him even closer as she stepped into the wall.

The two were hidden by bricks as they kissed rather passionately. Lance found his hands pull her even closer as he stepped right up to her, pressing her into the wall. Her mouth was open ever so slightly and he could play with her tongue just a little bit and he could taste her. His heart leapt under his suit and he wondered if she could feel it, though she had to as her hands moved to press against his chest. He could feel her fingers clutch and untense, pulling him inward and all he wanted was more. He gave a throaty sort of exhale, murmuring some sort of phrase of joy as he kissed her. Every moment had been building up to this and it had been worth the wait.

That was until the court room door swung open and a rush of conversation could be heard at which both of their lips parted and they panted a bit breathlessly as if nothing had transpired. The only hints being how close they were and the few strands of brown hair by Krys' cheek that had fallen free from behind her ear. Both staring at one another almost blankly unsure why or how it had happened.

Lance found out that somehow his pale hands had pressed against the cold bricks now so to balance himself. _Say something dummy. Anything. Come on. With Doctor Brennan and Booth you can never shut up!_

In hearing the sound of heels clicking down the hall he pushed away and gave Krys some space. Both lowered their gazes to the floor, as if searching for answers but nothing would help them. Lance felt his tongue poke at the back of his teeth and eventually he looked up.

"Krys, I'm sorry. That was ridiculously unprofessional of me." He tried to apologize, feeling like a freshman all over again. But in the back of his mind though he knew for a fact that it took two to swap a kiss he still felt that maybe he had forced himself on her. But he could never just leave it at that and followed up with something stupid. "It was an accident." Did he just pull a Zack Addy or what?

"It's okay." Krys looked to the ground and this time Lance didn't stop her from rubbing the back of her neck. He could tell by the way she looked away that he had said something stupid and it wasn't the time to push it.

"Hello, hello, hello." Leave it to Vincent Nigel-Murray to enter at the worst possible times with his usual cheery grin. He gave a little wave toward Lance before looking to his pal. "Say Krys, there's a man who wants to talk to you." Vincent gestured with a nod of his head down the hall to which Krys would leave without even looking at Lance. Vincent picked up on this and made a little whistling sound. "Oh boy. Are you in trouble?"

Lance shoved his hands into his pockets. "Actually Vince... I think I am."


	16. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

After the fiasco in the courtroom the day before Doctor Temperance Brennan searched out peace in the only place that she was fully comfortable in. The lab at the Jeffersonian. True they entire gang that she had worked with, including herself, had been pulled off live cases but that didn't mean that they couldn't take on cold ones (ones that hadn't been looked into for a hundred years) and since today they had a day off from the trial, Temperance decided that this was the best place for her to be. Somewhere where she could bury herself in work and at least pretend to be productive.

It seemed that she was the only one who had that mind set. The lab was practically empty and every station besides her own was closed. Swiping her card with the usual beeping allowing her to 'sign out' she walked down the stairs only to spot someone sitting at one of the tables upstairs.

Raising her lightly colored brow she decided to look into it further and moved up the stairs. Who she spotted wasn't who she expected though it was one of her ex interns.

"Mister Nigel-Murray. What are you doing here?" Temperance asked which caused the mop topped boy to turn around in his seat.

"Oh hey, Doctor Brennan." Vincent greeted with a friendly, innocent little smile. "You know, now that I'm not your intern anymore you can call me Vincent, or Vinnie, or Vincenzo. I even had a girlfriend once who called me-"

"I prefer Mister Nigel-Murray." Temperance stated calmly which, even though she was still no longer his official boss, still overpowered him. As the young man looked down at the magazine in his lap and began to flip through it Temperance found herself sighing. "What are you doing here?"

"Wendell had a few things to do. Errands or something. He didn't wish for me to come with so he dropped me off here." Vincent explained as he closed the magazine, leaning forward he set it on the coffee table and rose to his feet facing his old boss.

"Do you enjoy staying with Wendell?" Temperance asked, not budging from where she stood.

"It's a bit different than what I'm used to." Vincent shrugged, keeping his facts to a minimum because he remembered that she wasn't a fan. "It's a bit odd going from the ground to a cot." Vincent rubbed his back with a soft groan. "I find I prefer the dirt." A silly little smile though Doctor Brennan didn't return it this caused Vince to blink, his smile fading he studied the woman. "Doctor Brennan. Might I ask you something?"

"As you are able to speak and your vocal chords sound just fine, I'd say that you are indeed able to." She deducted giving him a simple nod.

Vincent shifted about unsurely where he stood, pulling at his nice light blue button up shirt and tie as he prepared himself. "Are you terribly disappointed in me?"

"Disappointed?" Temperance blinked as the words sunk in and she found herself actually pondering them.

"Yes." The ex intern nodded. Too late to back down now. "In the sense that I abandoned your mission to go to the dig..." He continued, hoping to pry some sort of answer from her but for a while there was only quiet.

Taking a long heavy sigh she too shifted about, actually feeling uncomfortable in what she was about to say. "I'll admit, at first I was a tad... Disheartened that you abandoned our work at the Jeffersonian for a dig, but it isn't something that is beyond my comprehension. I didn't always work here at the lab Mister Nigel-Murray. I understand the appeal that such adventures have."

Vincent looked hopeful. "Do you forgive me, Doctor Brennan?"

Temperance felt her brow furrow in confusion. "There is nothing to be forgiven."

Vincent found a smile creeping over his lips and Temperance saw his cheeks flush with relief. "That's good. I was worried."

"Well that wasn't certainly silly." Temperance told him flatly in the blunt way that only she could manage being a woman of science. Another quiet fell between the two and Temperance actually found herself feeling bad about it all. She didn't have to make him feel miserable just because he didn't want the internship anymore. "Are you enjoying it? Your dig?"

Vincent looked up quickly suddenly very bright which meant only one thing: joy. "Excellent. It's going splendidly." He clapped his hands together, rubbing them eagerly. "Up in the early mornings and we dig until the sun sets. Evenings involve eating different dishes from different tribes from all over the area." And then, he couldn't hold back anymore. "Did you know that only 20% of Americans have passports, which when compared to other areas is very low."

"Couldn't hold back. Could you kid?" Came Seeley Booth's voice as he moved up the stairs, his large hand wrapped around his son's smaller one.

"Hello." Vincent blushed, lowering his gaze onto his feet.

"Booth." Temperance blinked, crossing her arms over her chest she turned to face him. "What are you doing here?"

"I took Parker out for bowling and lunch. A little break." Booth explained as he leaned forward so to whisper in her ear so that his son couldn't hear. "Because of what happened yesterday.. You know.."

"We went to the diner near here." Parker spoke up, uncomfortably pulling at his t-shirt. "My dad said it's special because he only takes me and you there."

"Special?" Temperance blinked turning her focus back onto Seeley who seemed to flush in the face. "That diner is special? A location can't be special just because one eats there. You can get grilled cheese just about anywhere else."

"It's not the food, Bones." Seeley said quietly, hoping that it would quiet her. Now wasn't the time to explain how he felt, especially when he wasn't even sure. Maybe there would never be a time. "It's more so the company."

"I don't understand-" Doctor Brennan began but then Attorney Caroline Julian came up the stairs and garnered attention.

"Caroline?" Booth blinked, a bit confused. "What are you doing here?"

"We're doing some preliminary questioning with Krys in the interrogation room so that we can make a case and not have a repeat of what happened yesterday with.." Her eyes drifted onto Parker and she swallowed her words, deciding to only focus on the adults. "You know."

"Interview?" Immediately Seeley Booth stepped up to the defense. "With Krys.." The lack of a vocal response gave him the answer he sought. "Who's doing the questioning?"

"Easy there Cherie. We've got Sweets on standby and we've got Agent Perotta in the room." Caroline's eyes drifted between the two partners. "You two remember that blonde bombshell, don't you?"


	17. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The room was dark and Krys felt very odd sitting on the opposite side of the mirror. Seated at the table she sunk back a bit in her seat, hands folded nervously in her lap she could feel her palms becoming increasingly sweaty. She didn't want to be here. Not one bit. But since she was stuck here like some sort of criminal she would have preferred to have someone she trusted like Agent Booth do it. But no, instead she had this blonde woman who looked sweet but Krys had long learned to not trust anyone that she didn't know.

"Three... Maybe four days." Krys answered one of the previous questions that had been poised. She was growing tired of this already. It had been a long hour.

"Alrighty." Agent Perotta jotted something down in a file before continuing on. "Is it your contention that if the agents hadn't arrived when they did, you would have been killed?"

"Yes." Krys' voice was solemn, soft. They were addressing things she didn't really want to think about. Not anymore. "I think that's pretty obvious given his track record."

"Thank you." Perotta cut her short. Apparently sarcasm wasn't something that'd show up in a court record. "And how sure are you of this?"

"Are you serious?" Krys blinked in disbelief, leaning forward as if to challenge the woman. But the blonde showed no twitch in facial expression, meaning that she wasn't going to put up with it. "A hundred percent sure." Turning her face to the one way mirror Krys' expression turned serious. "Ya hear that? I'm fairly certain a KILLER would have KILLED me!" Maybe whoever the dumb ass was on the other side would get the hint and start giving this bimbo stupid questions, or maybe they'd just let her leave.

Agent Perotta seemed to smile a bit, as if amused by this. "Let me cut to the chase. Are you willing to testify this in court?"

"Apparently, I don't have a choice." Krys responded matter of factly with a forced smile, her elbows resting on the tabletop.

"Even though last time in court, you hurried out?" Perotta couldn't drop it. She had to be sure.

"I can do it." Krys reaffirmed with a nod, her eyes not wavering, trying so desperately to be sure.

A bit of a silence as Agent Perotta seemed to be thinking on something rather hard, or listening to something before she opened her mouth to speak. "Do you feel that your experience with a father addicted to alcohol at all contributed to how you react to these heightened events?" A line that was rehearsed, or that she was being fed.

"What?" The data analyst blinked as she allowed the words to slosh over her.

"Do you?" Agent Perotta seemed absolutely calm, and this unnerved Krys even more.

Without so much as a word Krys pushed her seat back and rose to her feet. Agent Perotta moved to her feet as if to say something but the young woman continued on her way to the door, opening it she walked a few hurried, determined steps down the hallway before opening another door and bursting right in.

"What the hell?!" She couldn't contain the burst in her voice as she looked up Lance Sweets wearing his nerdy little ID tag.

"I'm assisting in an investigation. A questioning." Lance explained, hands moving to his hips. "Miss Julian and Agent Perotta requested me." In the background Krys could see the blonde haired agent turn her gaze onto the one way mirror, just staring with no clue what was going on.

"That is private information. That has absolutely nothing to do with this case or my answers on the stand." Krys argued with a frown. She wasn't sure if she was more disgusted or shocked. "My past has nothing to do with my testimony."

"You don't know that." Lance attempted to argue, though his voice was far less firm than hers.

"No. I do!" She was now shouting and the argument could no doubt be heard in the hallway by this point. "You're studying me! You're asking whatever silly things you feel like for your own knowledge for whatever sick reason." Her face was bright red with anger. "You've been doing that since the first day we met. I keep telling you not to!"

Lance seemed speechless with how nervous he was, practically being cornered like he was. "I'm a psychologist. That's what I do!" He wanted so desperately to believe this himself, and for her to understand.

"No. You're a jerk! And that's what you do because you're a jerk!" Krys yelled at him, pointing right at his chest she roughly forced him to back into a wall as she grew increasingly upset.

"Calm down." Lance attempted to hold out his hands in a 'stop' gesture.

"I told you those things in private" Krys went on softly. "You don't do that."

"I'm sorry. I'm not certain you're being guided by your brain right now." Lance continued, trying to guide her down from her fire hot temper.

"What?!" She blinked in disbelief.

"You're testifying in a trial that you clearly don't want to just because people kept asking you." Lance went on, his own voice racing. Was he trying to help? "The Krys I know would never in a million years..."

"You don't know me!" She was shouting again and he cringed.

"Yes." His hands moved for her wrists though the exact words that he wanted to say didn't want to come out. "Yes, I do. I know you, and you know that I do, and your scared. And you keep pushing me and everyone else away..." Lance shook his head trying to get her to look at him. "Don't you see the potential disaster here?"

"I don't want to be hurt again."

"Then don't. DON'T." Sweets

"You don't do that!" Krys cried out, her voice becoming a bit hoarse and right then the door swung open and there was Seeley Booth rushing in to the rescue.

"You're done here." He said in a quick voice, already standing by Krys he had both of his large hands protectively placed on her arms, holding her close.

Lance's eyes were opened wide. He was worried, about his own skin and how Krys felt. He hadn't meant for any of this to go like it was. "Agent Bo-"

"You're DONE here." Seeley spoke up loudly enough to cause the young man to shut right up.

Turning back to take care of Krys he gently guided her toward the door, leading her out only after glaring at Perotta and Sweets respectively. Now Lance was left only with the blonde attorney who looked equally as stunned as he was.

"It's alright Sweets." The blonde agent tried to reassure him, tearing her eyes away from the door that had been slammed. "He doesn't know what we were trying to do. It's different when you're attached to a case like he is. He doesn't realize that you're not intentionally trying to hurt her. You're just trying to help."

Lance shut his eyes, shaking his head. "I don't want to hurt her." He felt his throat go dry with his own quiet admittance to no one in particular. "I love her."


	18. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Jack Hodgins hated doing grunt work. He avoided it at all costs whether it be through a sarcastic snap, an empty threat, or just getting one of the interns to do it. There were better ways to spend his time anyways and Cam knew that. But unfortunately for him Wendell was on his day off, because of the trial everyone was on sparatic schedules and not expected to even show up. In fact if they were normal they wouldn't have. But Jack Hodgins wasn't normal.

And so, without a scapegoat, he found himself hauling an ancient golden crocodile of some sorts. Bending down in his blue lab coat inside the storage room he let out a bit of a grunt. Though he worked out a bit heavy objects weren't exactly lost on him. Let alone ones that were heavy without a purpose. Why the Egyptians felt such a burning desire to make giant golden animals was beyond his comprehension. Sure it was pretty, but pretty definitely wasn't one of his strong points, or even a word he regularly used. It's something someone like Angela would say.

"What are you doing?" Right on cue there she was. "Showing off?" Came her usual prod and he couldn't help but chuckle in response. She always knew just what buttons to push, good or bad and he always found a reason to smile.

"Nah." Jack shook his head and then pretended to busy himself with an old crate that didn't need to be moved, but for now he'd pretend like it did. "Cam just wanted this stuff moved around a bit, cleaned up."

"Yeah. Because he really cares about how his house looks." Angela joked with a slight laugh as she pointed to a mummy case.

Jack laughed as well, and for a few seconds the two shared a moment only to fall into silence again. Angela clutched her sketch pad to her chest, for some reason she had decided to bring it with her, and looked to the floor. It was in bad need of a sweeping, then again, when anyone was ever in here it wasn't exactly to clean, at least in her and Hodgins' case. Without thinking of how it might look she started laughing to herself, something Hodgins couldn't ignore.

"What's so funny?" Jack inquired with a little smile of his own, quite interested in what had gotten into her.

"Nothing. It's just-" At the last minute she decided against it, once her eyes landed on his. "This floor needs cleaning."

Jack's brow furrowed but the smile remained. She was lying, he knew that, but that just made her all the more of a mystery to him. A goddess that he wished to understand. "You're right. That's hilarious." He quipped in his usual dry tone, giving her a little quirk of the brow before he decided to return to his pushing of the crate which he was just pushing back into its previous position. Hopefully she wouldn't catch on.

Angela looked down at her purple blouse and then to her sketch book. "I can't believe that I'm here when we were given time off." Angela laughed to herself as if it was the silliest thing but in an embarrassing sense. "I could have gone out, got a drink, went to the beach, and yet I'm here... Around dead things." She gestured with her artist's pad around the room of artifacts.

"I don't think going to the beach would have been appropriate given the circumstances Ang." Jack commented, though it wasn't in a harsh voice, more of a tone of someone who understood. "But I understand what you mean." He then moved to re-sort a few of the old jars. "I had a date tonight." He announced with his back to her out of fear if he turned around he wouldn't have been able to say the words. "I canceled."

"You did?" Angela looked up rather seriously, intrigued. Her arms wrapped around her sketchbook and clutched it to her chest, her ringed fingers running over the cardboard and paper carefully. "Why would you do something like that?"

"I don't know." Jack shrugged his shoulders, his back still to her he moved to a glass case, blowing the dust off so he could pretend to admire the jewelry. "Just didn't feel right in light of... Things." He ran his hand over the dusty glass so to clear it off more.

"Things?" Angela inclined her head. "Like?"

"Just things." Jack had turned around and used his hands to reach behind him to brace his body on the glass case. He could feel the dust against his fingertips. "Everything that's going on with the trial... The lab...." His eyes noticably diverted. "You and I..."

"Us?" Angela couldn't hide the inclination in vocal pitch of her voice. It sounded almost like hope. Sure they had shared a kiss many months ago but since then they had been avoiding the topic. But avoiding the conversation didn't mean that Angela hadn't been thinking about it. In fact it had been nonstop. She felt like she was becoming obsessive!

"Just us." Jack shrugged his right shoulder and looked away. Was she really going to pull this out of him? Of course she was. Angela had the ability to do that to him. He was pretty sure that she could do that to any man that she wanted. "Angela, what's the matter?"

"Nothing." She looked away just as suddenly as he had asked the question. Gosh it was embarrassing on the rare occasion that she didn't know what to say to a man. It was so rarely the case! "It's just..." She looked back up again, catching his eyes. "With what happened between you and I. We kissed."

"I know Angela." Jack gave a trouble making little smile. "I was there."

"You and I. We kissed." She repeated quietly though it was hard to hide the slight bit of radiance wanting to escape from her face. "And I realize that I'm all about living in the moment and that it was just one moment." Hodgins nodded and that gave Angela permission to take right off. "But since then I've been thinking about that moment over and over again for months." She gestured with her hands in such a grand manner that Jack couldn't help but chuckle at her own exuberance. "That's not normal!"

"Since when do you want to be normal?" Jack interupted though a brightness was coming to his usually dim eyes.

"I don't. But that's just it." Her lipstick lips curved into a smile. Now or never. "I loved you Jack." She allowed the words to fall on him and without waiting for approval she went on. "I still love you. Even now."

"Angela-"

"No. Hodgins. Let me finish." And Jack promptly clamped his mouth shut. "You don't need to say it back. I'm not saying it to hear it back. I just want you to know." She finished with a bit of a sigh and there was quiet and she suddenly felt very nervous. Her heart was racing against her rib cage.

Jack took a small step toward her. In one fluid motion he reached right out and gently took her cool hands in his warm own. "Angela." She looked up with a little help from his warm fingertips gently guiding her chin. "I love you too."

Angela couldn't help but give a choked little laugh amidst happy tears as the two brought their lips together in a tender kiss.


	19. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Lance had been pretty upset since his run in with Krys during the interrogation. She wouldn't even look at him during the trial. When everyone had come to the Jeffersonian after she had joined them but she wouldn't look at him then either. He had even tried to approach her when everyone was telling little jokes and attempted to sit next to her on the couch.

At first she didn't budge but once he leaned over, his left arm bracing his body on the cushion: "Krys, I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry that-" She promptly got right up without even saying a word or looking at him and moved to stand in a huddle with Vincent and Wendell. God, how Lance loathed himself right now.

Slumping back in the couch in his form of a pout he folded his hands in his lap, watching everyone as the blurs they were, practically tuning them out. Eventually he finally rose to his feet, not like anyone would notice if he left anyhow and, in an attempt to escape the tension, he walked to one of the stairwells. With a heavy sigh he plopped right down on the top stair and ran his fingers through his dark hair. Why did he have to be such a mess? But of course, even a moment of peace wasn't an option. Not around the lab.

"Hey there Sweets." Agent Booth emerged into the stairwell, standing above him. Of course he could never allow cowardliness to be so easy. "Sneaking off?"

"Nah..." Lance forced a smile but he knew that he was a terrible liar. "Just needed some air."

Agent Booth blinked, crossing his arms over his suit clad chest he glanced behind himself and back to the young psychologist. "Yeah. Right... If I wanted some air this would be the first place I would go." His tone didn't wreak of sarcasm but Lance knew that he didn't buy one word.

In the quiet, Agent Booth reached into his pocket and held out a folded piece of paper for Lance who took it with a confused expression. "What's this?"

"The FBI is having one of those fancy dinners to honor those at the Bureau and some special guest from the media for their services." Agent Booth explained with a shrug as if to say he couldn't care less but he wanted to pass the information along. "Suit, tie, the whole deal." Lance blinked and looked down at the folded piece of paper but didn't open it, nor did he speak. "You're invited." Seeley spoke up. He couldn't believe he had to spell it out for this kid. "You can bring a date." _God! Do I have to hire a sky writer for the damn kid?_

"Oh." Lance blinked when he finally got it. "Oh!" Quickly he stumbled right onto his feet. "Thanks Agent Booth!" He said quickly before hurrying out the stairwell door not even waiting for a response other than the shaking of Seeley's head.

Lance moved past each person. Angela and Jack who barely looked up as they were too busy being lovey dovey. Doctor Brennan seemed semi interested but once he rushed past she looked back to Doctor Saroyan. Lance saw Wendell, Vincent, but where was she? Finally he saw her toward the back of the lab, studying something that someone had left up on one of the computer screens.

Bracing himself he took one slow inhaling breath and then marched right over clearing his throat. "Krys. Ms. Robin." The data analyst looked up and seemed about ready to say something but Lance wouldn't even let her get the snippy remark out. "I just want you to know how very, very sorry I am for what happened and I really, like, totally want to make it up to you." He was rambling but now he was on a roll. He wasn't going to stop. "So there's like this awesome ball coming up.. I guess.. I've never been invited to one, but I'm invited to this one and I was wondering if maybe..." His voice trailed off. God if he ever went to a highschool dance he was certain he would have been even more of a blubbering idiot, if that was even possible. "You would want to go with me?" His words hung in the air and he hoped to god that she would pick them up.

Krys seemed confused at first, thrust into a very awkward situation she tried to find her voice. "That sounds great Lance but I-"

"It's okay." Lance immediately assumed that he was being shot down and looked to the tiled floor, waving her off with his left hands. No need for pity apologies. "I understand. I wouldn't go with me either." He gave off a nervous chuckle and a blush rose to his cheeks. You could fry an egg on them.

"No. It's not that." Krys spoke up and Lance looked back up curiously. "It's just... I'm already going."

"You are?" Lance's jaw hung open slightly. Why had Booth told him to ask if she had already gotten an invite?! Was he setting him up? "I guess you got the invite too. Silly huh?" Another nervous chuckle and he felt the need to run away.

"No. I didn't." She stated simply, though her own brow seemed complex with the way it was wrinkled. What did it mean? "I'm actually going with someone. A friend."

"Oh." Lance felt his heart sink and it took all of his effort not to puke. "Okay." He gave a series of quick nods before turning around to leave, completely humiliated until he couldn't even control his boyish urge and turned around to look at her. "Who?" He said the word almost a little too loud, it had erupted from his chest with no baring.

"William Barrett." The name stung Lance all over like a thousand daggers. "That reporter. He's the special guest... He asked me after our interview... If I'd like to go. As friends." And she meant it but she couldn't say that to him. She was too stubborn to admit such things, not to mention that she wouldn't know how to word it even if she wasn't.

"Oh. That's great." A blatant lie as Lance kept a scoff inward. He knew William Barrett and 'as friends' wasn't in his vocabulary. And though he doubted that William even knew that he liked Krys or even that he worked with the FBI he couldn't help but feel the urge to punch the spoiled brat right in the face. "You'll have fun." He tried to be reassuring despite the fact that he wanted to crumble.

"Maybe I'll see you there?" Her voice seemed hopeful but she hid it relatively well.

"Yeah. Yeah." He nodded over and over again, looking to the floor defeated but trying to hide it. "Maybe."

Turning around he moved to walk away like a dog with its tail between its legs. He'd ask Angela there was no way that he couldn't go to this thing now. Even if only for his own pride and to make sure Barrett kept his grimy hands off of Krys.


	20. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Temperance Brennan sat across from her partner at their usual diner. Munching on french fries and sipping her usual milkshake. Usually they would go to the eatery after solving a case, or a session with Sweets, but on this occasion Booth had asked her at the lab when they had just been hanging around. Though she knew that it wasn't for a case she secretly hoped that it might be seeing as if it wasn't for a case it was something else entirely. But what could it be? Already the wheels of her brain were turning trying to solve the puzzle.

"Hey, Bones." Seeley grunted in between cheeseburger bites as Temperance looked up a bit startled. "You okay over there?"

"I'm just fine." Temperance nodded curtly, using her salad fork to prod a piece of lettuce. Then looking up with an afterthought. She could trade formalities if she had to. "Are you?" And the tables had been turned. She was too good at that.

"Me?" Seeley blinked a few times as the question registered and he found himself leaning back in his cushy booth seat. "I'm doing just fine." He stretched his arms up and over his head. "Parker's at Rebeccas's which is good. It's best that he's there after that mess that happened in court."

"Parker is a very resilient young man." Temperance spoke up rather calmly despite the topic of conversation. "The outburst in court is probably affecting you more than it is him."

"Look at you." Agent Booth chuckled, shaking his head, he sat up at the table, folding his large hands as he leaned toward her. "You're starting to sound like Sweets."

"Am not." Temperance frowned. She was insulted though she wasn't sure exactly why.

"You are too." Seeley offered back equally as playful, wiggling his brows at her so to get a rise out of the anthropologist. "You're Sweets' apprentice!" He continued to tease, causing his partner's eyes to widen.

"I am not!" She retaliated with a thin lipped frown. "That doesn't even make sense. We're in two completely different branches of justice. He's with you, I'm in the lab."

"But sometimes you're with me too, Bones." Seeley corrected calmly with a little smile. And for a second Temperance could swear she spotted his dark eyes twinkle.

"Sometimes." Temperance gave in, trying to hide the smile that wanted to creep onto her own lips as she looked down at the table top.

Something about the silence that occurred in the moment led her to believe there was more on the way. That Booth wasn't finished yet, nor had he necessarily begun.

"Say Bones.." Booth's voice verified her suspicions.

"Hm?" She looked up. During the quiet that had befallen them she had somehow managed to stuff her mouth with vegetarian goodness AND had forgotten to swallow. Either way she remembered to do so when Seeley gave her a bit of a look, trying to subtly hint.

Seeley seemed to become slightly self conscious out of nowhere, shifting about uncomfortably in his seat at the table. "I got this invite the other day to this really boring event with the bureau. It's an open bar, dress up, ties sort of thing..."

"And you were wondering if I'd go." Temperance finished for him. Sometimes she just couldn't help herself, especially when she knew what was going to be said.

Seeley blushed a little bit, but kept his expression serious before giving a single nod. "Yeah. That's hitting the nail right on the head I guess."

"I don't have a hammer." Temperance commented confusedly, her brow furrowing but before Booth could correct her she went on. "Why me?" She had to admit, she was curious.

'Well..." Booth found himself becoming increasingly nervous for some reason, and as a result even more shifty. "You're my partner." Surely that would be a good enough reason, and far less.. Well, awkward if he admitted a mere fact. Temperance liked facts.

"And that's why you'd bring me and not... Cam?" Temperance couldn't help but feel like she was fishing. A very human emotion and way of doing things that she was actually disgusted over.

"Well.. That.. And.." He was drowning here and he knew it. He was even becoming flustered. "Not just that. There's also..." His voice trailed off until finally he found an adequate answer. Or at least, he hoped it was. "You're the only smart person I like enough to... Bring with me."

Temperance looked to him seriously for a few long moments before giving a nod. "Alright. I'll go with you."

It took all of Seeley's might not to jump up on the table and do a little dance, possibly including some cabbage patching. But he refrained, deciding instead on a simple nod.

"Good." Reaching out he took a large bite of his cheeseburger before grinning like a little boy, now food in his own mouth. "It'll be fun."


	21. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Things were far too packed for Lance's liking as he came down the stairs of the hotel ballroom, Angela on his arm. At least she hadn't said no. He was pretty sure she agreed to come because she pitied him after hearing that Krys was going with someone else. That'd also be why Jack Hodgins didn't attack him or punch him in the face... Or at least try to.

"Don't worry Sweets. Hodgins doesn't want to kill you for bringing me." Came Angela's voice from his side. She was trying to coax him out of the 'funk' that he seemed to be stuck in since he had picked her up an hour ago. When Lance didn't speak and only furrowed his brow she sighed, though she gave a bit of a tired smile. "That's not what you're worried about, is it?"

Lance looked over to her, blinking. "How can you tell?"

"Well, for one thing we've been on these bottom two stairs for the last five minutes." Angela declared with a knowing expression, though it was gentle (she thought of Lance like a little brother). Her fingers gave his arm a gentle squeeze and that seemed to bring him out of the daze that he had been in.

With a bit of an uncomfortable sigh as they stepped down the bottom stairs he managed to squeeze through the various suit clad bodies and multi colored ball gowns. He was glad that Angela went with a simple color, emerald, even though her dress showed a little more skin than the officers' wives. She was bold in that sense. Then again, Lance had been expecting that from her. It was in her personality and he knew the free spirited, so he'd like to think, rather well.

"You'd think these guys have never seen a back before." Angela declared under her breath for only her 'date' to hear as she glanced over her shoulder at some of the men behind her.

"Just never that much, Angela." Lance found himself chuckling in a moment of relaxation and Angela gave his arm a light shake and the psychologist a little smile.

Once they passed the bottom stair some attendant in a tux handed them small paper brochures. Lance lowered his gaze just in time to see the various names, faces, and mini profiles on them. A few names he recognized as higher ups, but one stuck out in particular. William Barrett. He was the member of the media being honored. Lance knew that going in, he also knew of the man's date which made things worse, but to see it on paper, in colored ink made it somehow worse.

"You don't like him do you?" Angela inquired from his side, causing Lance to look up from the folded piece of paper.

"Hm?" The psychologist looked a tad startled. "Who?"

"This guy." Angela pointed at the picture of William Barrett, leaning forward a bit to get a better look of the picture but was prevented when Lance promptly tucked it into his suit coat pocket. "Okay. So you _really_ don't like him." Angela straightened, releasing his arm she stepped in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why?" Now she felt a bit motherly, a notion which was enough to make her sick.

"I went to school with him." Lance shrugged off the question. He knew better than to try and hide anything from Angela, just like she knew not to lie to him because he could tell. "He was kind of a jerk... To me."

"A bully." Angela finished with a firm kind of brow. She didn't like the idea of anyone picking on the little psychologist. She was like a protective lioness with any of her friends.

"Yeah." Lance attempted to step around the artist but she stopped him and he had no alternative. "Major bully." He reiterated with a tired sigh. His own arms crossed over his chest and he suddenly felt a bit breathless, the result of his black bow tie. "Usually his anger was taken out exclusively on me." So it all came out. "But that was like, forever ago.." Better to give the man, even if he didn't like him, the benefit of the doubt. People could change.

"But long enough for you still to hold a grudge." Angela shook her head. She didn't know this William guy, so perhaps it was unfair for her to make this judgement, but she already hated him. "Does Krys know?"

"No." Lance exhaled, his voice soft and he looked to the floor at his black dress shoes. "But it's not a big deal..."

"It is if you love her Sweets." Angela told him gently which caused his head to snap right back up.

"I don't-"

"Yes." Her voice was firm enough to quiet him. As their eyes locked her voice became as gentle as the smile that soon graced her lipstick clad lips. "Yes. You do." She reached out for his arm once again and gave him a soft squeeze. "And that's okay."

"I told you she'd be here, Bones." Came Seeley Booth's voice and he stepped into view in front of Lance. Next to him was Temperance Brennan in an elegant, black dress that flowed down her slender form.

"Hey there sweetie." Angela greeted with a smile to her best friend, dropping the previous topic so her date wouldn't be uncomfortable. "You look great."

"You do as well." Temperance nodded, her silver earings sparkling in the light like the chandelier above them. "I didn't know you were coming with Sweets." She declared with a furrowed brow filled with misunderstanding. "I thought that you had gotten back together with Hodgins."

"I did. I have." Angela nodded, trying to cover her ground and Lance's so he didn't have to answer any blunt questions that her best friend would no doubt ask. "I'm here with Sweets tonight purely as a friend."

"Oh." Temperance turned her gaze onto Lance and after a moment of study she declared: "Someone turned you down."

"Bones!" Seeley cried out with widened eyes, he still felt horribly guilty for pushing the young man to ask the analyst only to be embarrassed.

"It's okay." Lance spoke up, forcing a weak smile, trying to be a good sport. "Yes, Doctor Brennan. I did gather the courage to approach an awesome girl and ask her and was immediately, simply, emphatically turned down." His boyish face gave an almost apologetic look, though for what reasoning he wasn't sure.

Agent Booth decided to change the subject. "Parker keeps asking about you Sweets. He wants to come visit for the soda." He gave a little chuckle and Lance seemed to take the compliment like it meant something.

"Parker is welcome any time." Lance responded just as the band began to pick up and quiet music began to play.

For a moment the group fell quiet, all exchanging silent glances with one another while trying to figure out exactly what to do. It was finally Agent Booth who decided to speak up, though his voice came out quiet and stuck in his throat.

"Bones." He shifted a bit where he stood, barely able to look her in the eye. "Would you like to dance?"

Lance caught Angela grin out of the corner of his eye and chuckled as he looked to the floor. About time. At least some people at the Jeffersonian were getting lucky and figuring things out, even if he couldn't. It was still progress.

"Sure." Could she be anymore detached? At least she was decent at hiding how much she was actually excited about the promise of dancing with her partner.

Seeley offered his arm and Temperance took it, and the two strode out into the groups of people and began to dance. Lance chuckled and shook his head, suddenly very sad that things never seemed to work out for him and he couldn't help but wonder if it'd take around five years for him and the person he cared about.

"It'll get better Sweets." Angela told him quietly, stepping close to his side she rubbed his back. "Promise." Lance caught her gaze and gave the weakest of smiles. He didn't believe her.

"It's about damn time those two got together." Attorney Caroline Julian said in her usual ballsy voice as she stepped toward Angela and Lance wearing a dark purple dress and a shawl. A very conservative ensemble yet bold just like the woman sporting the look. "Hey there Cherie."

"They're just dancing." Angela informed the woman, though she was secretly hoping for the same result.

"Right. Well it's a step up." Caroline nodded firmly causing Angela to laugh. Miss Julian meanwhile caught the expression on the psychologist's face and now had changed her target. "You look like someone ran over your dog." Ever so blunt was the attorney at law.

"No. I'm fine Miss Julian." Lance gave a bit of an uneasy smile, secretly wondering when everyone would finally lay off. "Just a bit overwhelmed." A lie, but she seemed to buy it for the moment being.

"Aren't we all Cherie? Aren't we all." Caroline shook her head, looking rather stern though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular. "With this case everyone is reaching the end of their ropes and I've got half of the people at this shindig on my back for results." She was venting, as she often tended to do, and this could last a while if she hadn't looked up and spotted someone on the stairwell behind the psychologist and his date for the evening. "Well, I'll be damned."

Lance blinked filled with confusion at first, Angela seemed to mirror the same reaction until finally they followed Caroline's gaze and turned to look over their respective shoulders. There was William Barrett in his tux looking quite handsome with his brown hair and tall structure. He would have looked like one of the agents from Men In Black if he had been sporting sunglasses. But that wasn't what Lance was looking at. His eyes were focused on the lady at his side: Krys Robin. Brown hair, a simple red dress that came down to her knees and flounced outward. Black mary janes. It was something so simple and yet he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Isn't she just the belle of the ball." Caroline announced sarcastically. Krys definitely didn't fit in more so because of how young she looked, and there was no looking away from her red ensemble because it didn't trail down to the floor. Shaking her head the attorney moved to join some of her fellows so to leave the others alone.

Lance felt a poke at his side and looking over he saw Angela looking rather impatient.

"Go talk to her." She demanded in a firm whisper.

"She's with a date, Angela." Lance whispered back, he felt his heart race nervously. "It's inappropriate."

"Who cares about appropriate?" Angela asked exasperatedly, shaking her head. "Live for the moment, Sweets!" Lance planted his feet firmly but it was no use as Angela gave him a very rough shove causing him to nearly stumble right into William Barrett as he came down the steps.

"Easy there big guy." William chuckled, reaching out with steady hands that Lance wanted to bite right off, he pulled the psychologist into a standing position. "Don't want to fall over in front of all of these important people, do you?" William continued smiling Krys meanwhile furrowed her brow as she recognized who the man had been that bumped into them.

"No." Lance said awkwardly, suddenly very flushed he pulled at his collar uncomfortably. "That would be awesomely uncool." He couldn't even look at them, choosing instead to look at the floor. That seemed to be his favorite spot as of late.

"Wait a second." William blinked and lowered his gaze, which Lance did his best to avoid. The reporter's grin grew quite large with the recognition. "Sweets. Lance Sweets!" He gave off a big laugh and patted the psychologist rather roughly on the back, enough to make Sweets lose his breath. "Long time no see!"

"You know him?" Krys asked with a tilt of her head.

"I went to high school with this guy!" William continued. Lance couldn't tell if the man's happy demeanor was genuine or not. He found himself secretly playing there were no lockers to be shoved into. "You remember me don't you Lance?"

"Yeah..." Lance commented with a shy smile. The man was using his first name. That was a step up from the nicknames he had called him in the past.

"What are you doing here?" William genuinely seemed horribly interested and Lance found himself feeling guilty for hating him. People could change. Even if this was just a front on the reporter's part, he was doing a pretty decent job at faking friendliness.

"Um..." Lance's eyes momentarily looked to Krys, just for a split second, before directing his gaze back on William. "I work for the bureau."

"What?" William's eyes widened in disbelief mixed in with a laugh. "No way. Not you... Really?"

"Yeah... I actually work for the FBI as a psychological profiler." Lance went on, his back still hurt from the earlier acknowledgment slap.

"Wow. Doesn't that beat all?" William shook his head and Lance saw the man's arm slip around Krys' waist and the beast within him growled. "I'm going to go mingle. Say hi and everything. Grab me a drink?" And not even waiting for a response he gave Krys a peck on the cheek before walking away to a group of men that had been waving him over leaving his ex classmate alone with his date in an awkward quiet.

Lance was the one to break the quiet as he shifted about where he stood. "So... Are you having fun with William?" He couldn't help but ask. The green eyed monster was getting the best of him.

"I guess." Krys smiled a bit at what she was about to say, even if she was only joking with a friend. "It was a lot of talking about him in the car... And then more about him on the walk over... And then we had to cut that short because we had to attend this delightful evening they're putting on... For him." Her brown eyes sparkled at her own sarcastic joke and Lance found himself laughing softly as well. "You?"

"It's been alright." Lance nodded over his shoulder. "Angela came with me. I think she felt bad."

"Why?" Krys asked outrightly and from her honest expression Lance could tell that she wasn't bull shitting him. She actually lacked the common sense to put two and two together. It was a wonder her and Doctor Brennan didn't get along better than they did.

"Well because..." He was tripping over his words as he looked right at her face. It made it all the more difficult. "Because..." Now or never. "Because I was hoping to bring you."

"What?" Krys seemed surprised and Lance felt the urge to run away and pretend he had never said such things. The analyst shook her head, obviously nervous she moved to walk toward the bar where they were serving drinks so to honor William's request. Lance followed. "Why?"

"I think it's quite obvious why." Lance felt himself becoming flustered and increasingly frustrated. Sure the girl didn't probably understand the depth of his feelings but he was getting quite upset with feeling all of the things that he was and having no outlet.

"Krys." Now the little things were bugging him. Her standing there not looking at him. Her getting a drink for William who could care less about her. Without thinking he reached out and turned her around. "Krys." His eyes focused on hers with such sincerity it was undeniable. "I know how I feel about you. I know how I've felt about you for a while but I haven't said anything because you haven't given me the slightest inkling. You're so closed off I have absolutely no idea how you feel about me, but I think you should know how I feel about you." The words were rushing out like a waterfall, there was no stopping them. "I think I'm in love with you." But he didn't get a response other than quiet and blank, surprised eyes. He felt his heart crumble.

"Hey there. How are you doing Krys?" William Barrett appeared, taking the drink right out of Krys' hand he looked calmly over to Lance. "How is she doing over here Lance?" He chuckled, trying to make 'man talk'.

Lance forced an almost sick smile, giving a little shrug. "I don't know how she's feeling. I never know." And with that he turned around and left the two.

Nothing could ever go right.


	22. Chapter 21

_A/N: Sorry about the delay. Been super busy. Back now!_

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

"You're actually a very decent dancer." Temperance Brennan noted as she and her partner, Seeley Booth, walked up the sidewalk during the dark evening/early morning.

After the Bureau Ball the two of them had went to the diner (Booth had insisted) and then drove around just talking for what she presumed was quite a few hours. Seeley had made a comment about it being just like his highschool prom. Temperance had never been to her own prom, no one had ever asked her and her idea of a romantic encounter at that age had been receiving the incorrect smurf plushie. Someone had remedied that years later however: the man next to her.

"Are you being serious?" Seeley asked. He had insisted on walking her to her door even though he had driven her there. He wasn't sure why he was doing so other than the fact that it was the chivalrous thing to do and she had been his date after all. A very pretty one at that.

"Of course I am." Temperance frowned curiously. "What would I have to benefit from lying about something as trivial as your ability to dance?" She looked to him with innocent eyes, expecting some sort of explanation but received nothing other than a chuckle on her partner's part.

Temperance looked down at the sidewalk, admiring her black shoes and the sound they made clicking over the pavement. "You didn't have to walk me to my door." She murmured, though she noticably didn't look at the man.

"I know that, but I wanted to Bones." Seeley responded rather calmly with a matter of fact tone that matched the one his partner usually had. He flashed her a little bit of a tired smile, it had been a long evening of drinking, eating, and dancing, but he did have to admit (even if only inwardly) that he had a good time.

"Angela and Sweets seemed to have a good time tonight." Temperance noted, switching topics much to Seeley's dismay.

"I highly doubt that Sweets had a good time." Seeley sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as he undid his black bow tie so he could be more comfortable.

"Why do you think that?" Temperance inquired, her left brow raised, intrigued.

"Just trust me on this one, Bones." Seeley affirmed, still not looking her way. "I know these things."

"You do possess knowledge in several topics that I am not quite stellar in." Temperance admitted, though she didn't outwardly want to admit that Seeley was better than her at some things. She could be just as stubborn as he was about certain things, like her own intelligence which was something she always prided herself on.

"I really do appreciate you coming with me." Seeley told her quietly, getting back to the previous topic, prepping himself for what he wanted to say.

"To the ball?" Temperance inquired with a slightly cocked head.

"No. Up this sidewalk." Seeley countered with a heavy sigh. "Yes, to the ball." He laughed nervously as he stopped, both of them having reached the front part of her apartment. She really was making it increasingly difficult to voice how he was feeling, as was her way. Sweets was always telling him to say how he was feeling but how was he supposed to when it never came out right?! "I really do appreciate it." There, it was out. Well, part of what he wanted to say anyways.

"It really was not an issue." Temperance stood beside him giving a series of small nods as she looked up at her partner. He was a bit taller than she was. "I didn't have any prior engagements that would prevent me from attending."

"I meant that I had a good time." Seeley couldn't help but smile. Doctor Temperance Brennan always had quite a way of putting things. It was something that he loved... Liked. LIKED! "I had fun." He settled on the words as he exhaled. Though he appeared calm on the outside, his usual cocky self on the inside he felt his chest area tremble.

"I had fun as well." Temperance found herself admitting softly. There was that twinge of girliness again and she actually found herself becoming annoyed with how frequently it had been happening this evening.

"Well..." Seeley cleared his throat. "G'night."

Temperance swallowed. "Goodnight."

And yet no one seemed to budge. Instead they continued to look at one another for a few seconds before Seeley leaned his face forward. Temperance felt her heart flutter and she closed her eyes, expecting something but she wasn't sure what. She could feel his breath. And that's when he kissed her... On the cheek.

Temperance released the breath that she had been holding in the form of a soft sigh and reopened her eyes. What had she been thinking? As Seeley pulled back she gave the weakest of smiles and she noticed, even in the dark air, that his cheeks were bright red. Had he been intending to do something else?

"Right." Seeley managed to get out, giving a series of shaky nods before giving her a half wave and turning around he walked away, cursing under his breath.


	23. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

It had been a few days since the ball and luckily the trial had been postponed while Harold underwent some testing after his latest outburst in the courtroom. Four days of semi peace but that didn't mean that Lance Sweets had any peace of mind. None at all in fact. Especially not since the bureau ball.

He had left the data analyst with some harsh words, at least in his opinion, and he was actually worried that he had hurt her feelings. Krys hadn't been around at all and every time he tried to garner up the nerve to call her he found himself hanging up once she picked up. Every time he spent some time with Wendell or Vince he thought better of asking out of fear that they'd bring it up with her later. He was such a coward and he damn well knew it. He was no William Barrett. He wasn't dashingly handsome, or very well off, and couldn't even ask her out on a date to a ball in a timely fashion before someone else had asked her.

All of these thoughts and so much more prodded his brain as the psychologist stood on the top level of the Jeffersonian lab, leaning over the railing. His pale hands folded with his arms draped over the cool metal, staring off into nothingness.

"Hey there Sweets." Came Seeley's voice from beside the young psychologist causing the young man to look toward the side as the FBI agent joined him, draping his own arms over the railing as he leaned forward. "How are you doing?"

Close behind was Temperance Brennan who proceeded to do the same exact thing on the opposite side of Lance. He was currently in a Booth and Brennan sandwich and there was no getting out once you were made the filling between their two slices of bread.

"Honestly?" Lance raised his brow and then gave a tired smile mixed in with a sigh. "I've been better." He turned his gaze back forward and hung his head slightly. "Not too awesome at all."

"Awesome isn't a state of being." Temperance frowned and she promptly received a warning glance from Seeley that warned her not to make another comment about it.

Lance didn't seem to mind all that much as he looked to the woman with a little, amused smile. "I apologize Doctor Brennan."

"It gets better." Seeley grunted. He knew the feeling all too well. "Trust me."

"You're lying Agent Booth." Sweets looked toward the man with a weak, knowing smile. "But I appreciate the effort." He knew that Seeley wasn't the biggest fan of their sessions, but at least the agent didn't seem to hate him anymore. Maybe he even accepted him?

"Wanna sit down?" Temperance attempted to be helpful. To relate to a person like her partner had the ability to do.

"Not really." Lance frowned, shaking her head as he bit the inside of his cheek. After a few moments of quiet he spoke up with wet brown eyes that he didn't dare look upon either of the partners with. "She's great. She doesn't know it but she is." He announced thoughtfully, probably not even processing the words that he was saying. "And every time I try to tell her, I just can't because I know how awesomely great she is and I just can't. She always alludes me no matter what I do, no matter how much preparation I go through... Because she's just so..." He looked over at Doctor Brennan now and she could see how shiny his eyes were. "Do you think she's great, Doctor Brennan?" He did value her opinion.

Doctor Brennan found herself initially swallowing down the words. True her and Krys weren't exactly buds but she did find her to be a fascinating and very bold individual. "Not really..." It was a quiet lie, but brought on by the best of intentions.

"Sometimes things just get messy Sweets." Agent Booth sighed heavily, now looking down at the lower floor which was pretty empty as everyone had either been on leave for the trial or were beginning to wrap up for the evening. He had only come because he didn't want to be home alone with nothing but his thoughts and his irritable back. Both were of no use and were not fun. "But the point is eventually, maybe not right away, but eventually... Things get better."

Lance moved to shake his head, looking back toward the lower level when he saw them. There was Vincent and Wendell walking rather rushedly and he couldn't help but wonder why. His brow furrowed with confusion until he saw the two interns of Doctor Brennan's parting ways to make room for another individual to walk through. There was Krys. Brown hair down to her shoulders, jeans, a hoodie, looking like a 'normal' person as she stood there... Except for a few things. For one there was a big smile on her face, a redness to her cheeks, and she was looking up... Right up at him. Their eyes met, even from a distance and nothing else existed.

"What's going on?" Doctor Brennan whispered with confusion toward her partner who immediately pressed his fingers to his lips in a hush motion before Temperance looked back to the young woman below. She also noticed her two interns were smiling rather proudly amongst one another.

"Sweets!" Krys called out rather loudly causing everyone else in the lab to stop what they were doing and look in her direction. She stood still on the bottom level, looking up at the psychologist, still smiling. "It's me!" She added loudly, though a bit breathlessly.

"I can see that." Lance smiled as he straightened up. He had no idea what this was about but he was glad to see her never the less. "I'm high up... Not blind." He gave her a smile to show that he was kidding. From above he could just admire her. She really should smile more often.

"Oh. Right..." Krys seemed momentarily embarrassed as she gave a soft little laugh and a further blush, shifting for a moment as if wanting to back out of whatever she was about to do.

"That's okay though!" Lance added quickly, not wanting her to rush away. He wanted her to stay.

This seemed to reaffirm Krys' own confidence and she stilled once again on the bottom level. Swallowing she pushed herself forward. "This past year has been..." She shook her head, there were no words to explain no matter how much she had rehearsed this. "Just.. A lot. You know? With everything that's going on. It's been a lot." Still her smile remained though her eyes looked worried as she attempted to form the words while gesturing with her hands as if to further the point. "I don't know which way is up anymore or which way is down. Everything is so mixed up, you know? And I've been scared.. But you knew that. You always know..." She gave a little bit of a nervous laugh which Lance returned from above.

Their eyes locked again from a distance. "You're brilliant. You really are." A quiet befell the two and Krys found herself blinking a bit startled and she swallowed again as if trying to will the words out so he could hear and hopefully they'd make sense. "I've had a few days to think... About what you said!" She was shouting, or at least speaking very loudly so that everyone could hear, especially Lance. "You said you never know how I feel. That no one ever does. I just want you to know..." Krys glanced around seeing all of the eyes on her and her absurd showcase of emotion. She was shocked to find that her own eyes were a bit damp and her heart was racing. She was genuinely nervous and yet excited all at once. "I want everyone to know... " She turned her eyes back upward looking right at Lance. "That I love you."

The words fell over Lance and he found his own eyes widening in surprise as he straightened right up. His pale fingers loosened around the cool metal railing as he heard the words play over and over again in his head. He couldn't find the words to speak but luckily Krys was on a roll though she was a bit flustered now that she had spoken the words.

"I love you." She repeated, this time a bit more free than the prior admission. Her face was turning red but her eyes were now wide with childlike excitement as she looked back and forth trying to say each and every word that came to her mind. "I love how you act, I love that you bug me so much, I love how you psycho analyze me." She laughed a teary sort of laugh as her eyes met with Lance's and he laughed along with her, but still no words back. Her heart was racing. Maybe he didn't feel the same way. Oh well, too late now.

Now she was speaking as she approached the stairs, and Lance slowly followed along the top level with long steps as Krys continued down her list. "I love that you make me think. I love how you pick on me. I love how I pick on you!" Now she was climbing the stairs and Lance was walking down them, all he saw was her. "I love how you look at me. I love how I feel when I look at you.. So girly and icky and I hate it.. But I love it!" Another nervous laugh and she felt like she was absolutely losing her mind. Now both were on opposite stairs as she looked right up at him, red in the face, and yet vulnerable as she admitted softly: "And I don't want that to go away."

Lance smiled down at her, his heart doing somersaults and with one swift motion he reached out with his hands clasping either side of her cheeks and pulled her into a passionate kiss, in front of everyone. Butterflies in his gut he didn't even dare to let go, not wanting the moment to ever go away. She loved him. Krys Robin loved him. For once he was doing something right.

For a moment the two separated, Lance leaned his forehead toward his, barely able to speak but somehow he found his own stuttering words. "I love you." His thumbs circled around her cheeks not ever wanting to break contact. "I've loved you ever since the first time I saw you rolling across the floor in that stupid chair." He laughed a teary laugh which Krys returned before he brought her lips back to his in another kiss.

Wendell on the lower floor offered his hand out to Vincent for a high five which seemed to confuse the young Brit who gave the man a curious look. In too good of a mood Wendell reached for his friend's hand and guided it to his in a high five which seemed to amuse Mister Nigel Murray who practically beamed like it was the most miraculous thing. Meanwhile, up above Temperance and Seeley watched with smiles of their own.

"You see that Bones? I helped do that." Booth said proudly.

"I actually believe that hormones did that." Temperance corrected lightly as she watched the new couple thoughtfully before adding as an after thought. "But I do agree you probably assisted. Only slightly.."


	24. Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

It had been a few weeks since the scene in the lab and Sweets' newfound relationship. Outside of the courthouse it was a bright sunny day, something that Temperance Brennan could appreciate. Harold, the defendant, had actually been pretty well behaved all things considered. No screaming, no yelling, no insults, or random cries. He just sat there the entire trial remarkably still even as Jack Hodgins went over ballistics. Even when Vincent Nigel-Murray followed his testimony so to verify the man didn't utter a peep. Everyone couldn't help but wonder what was going on but a quiet day didn't go unappreciated. The trial days always went by quicker when there were little interruptions. But now there was sunlight, and even the famous anthropologist could appreciate that.

Temperance looked away from the front lawn of the old building back to the courthouse doors just in time to see Lance Sweets coming out beside Jack Hodgins and Angela Montanegro. Both were talking with little smiles on their faces but then Lance spotted someone in front of them outside and his smile grew noticably larger as he practically bounded down the stairs. Temperance's gaze followed this jog and she saw that he was running toward Krys who had skipped the trial on this day and looked a great deal happier for having done so.

Doctor Brennan watched with intrigue as she saw the two embrace, say a few words, and then separate right as Krys went up on her toes and ruffled the man's hair (in order to do so she had to go up on her tiptoes). It was an odd sort of relation, though it didn't seem to be one that annoyed her in the slightest. True she had never voiced being content with one mate however Sweets seemed quite happy to do so as did the other part of the equation. And who was she to say differently? Other than a doctor that is...

"Doctor Brennan?" Came Vincent's voice from behind her, he always had a habit of just popping up.

"Hello Mister Murray." Temperance greeted rather seriously as she turned around to face him. Behind the young man's head she could see Jack and Angela swapping a quick kiss before they walked down the stairs. Angela gave her best friend a quick wave and big smile after she had passed Temperance found herself looking back at the sky, assuming that Vincent had left. Apparently, for once in her life, she was mistaken.

"Did you know that your odds of being killed by space debris is approximately one in five billion?" Vincent spoke up quietly with a bit of a lopsided smile as he looked to his ex mentor with bright eyes.

"That, I actually was not aware of." Temperance responded rather seriously, which actually seemed to throw Vincent for a loop as his smile faded. She always seemed to spook him in some way or fashion. "Are you feeling alright Mister Murray?" Temperance inquired with a slight tilt of her head, filled with intrigue.

"I'm doing rather well, as can be expected anyways." He nodded, glad to not be totally awkward as he usually was around the anthropologist. He had once suspected that it would fade when they parted ways, but that didn't seem to be the case. She was an odd one, even for his tastes. But he did respect her greatly, which brought on his next slightly bold move. "Doctor Brennan, I realize that I have already asked but..." His brow furrowed as he pieced the words together. "You're not horribly disappointed in me?..." His voice trailed off and he didn't say anymore.

"You are quite correct in stating that we already had this exchange of dialogue." Temperance responded and left it at that. She couldn't help it. She knew they had already spoken about this. Why didn't he believe her? Then again, she somehow doubted she was helping, what Booth would have called, the boy's 'nerves'.

"Yes. Yes. You're correct. Well..." Vincent suddenly felt very flustered and nodded his head nervously before rubbing the back of his neck blushing quite a bit. "I'll be off then." He turned to leave but Temperance found herself unable to control what came next.

"Mister Murray!" Her voice came out louder than she had expected, but Vincent stopped and turned around to face her. She suddenly felt very vulnerable. "You're content doing what you're doing... In Spain?" In a way she envied him. That's what she once did. Going to various tribal digs and looking at bones. No murder cases. No drama. Just the facts.

"Yes." Vincent seemed at home speaking about his newfound job that he clearly enjoyed. "I love it. Digging every day. Little discoveries constantly. We're making up for lapses of time in history. It's quite exciting!" He beamed at his ex boss only to find that she still didn't look happy.

"It does sound enjoyable." Temperance admitted. She actually wished that she could poke holes in his logic if only to make her own position at the Jeffersonian seem worth something. Make herself seem worth something. "But don't you mind the constant traveling? I've been there before. It can be quite rigorous." Temperance longed for the days when she was over seas. More and more by just looking at her ex intern.

"Not at all Doctor Brennan!" Vincent smiled like a little boy and right away was another one of his usual facts. "Did you know that donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes?"

"That is also something that I wasn't aware of." Temperance nodded with a bit of a sigh. Looking to the floor of the courtroom step she found herself looking back up again without actually thinking. "Did anything I do affect your decision to leave the lab?"

"No Doctor Brennan." Vincent looked a bit surprised as he blinked and frowned, but somehow managed to gather his courage to speak. "My decision was based solely on my interests which you helped me harness while working with you at the Jeffersonian. In fact if it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have gotten the job. And I am very thankful to you and everyone at the lab." He decided to leave it at that, as he decided that anything else he would say wouldn't be worth much at all. So, he turned around, actually intending to walk away but that's when another mood seemed to sink in for him.

Stopping on his heel he turned back around to face the anthropologist. "Doctor Brennan?"

Temperance looked up. "Yes Mister Nigel-Murray?"

"The average chocolate bar has eight insect legs in it." He gave her a little, hopeful smile which she actually returned.

"Thank you Mister Murray."

"Not a problem Doctor Brennan."


	25. Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Agent Booth and Doctor Brennan opened the door to the Royal Diner and listened to the bell jingle announcing their arrival. The diner seemed to be alive and bustling, the later dinner rush seeing as it was around nine PM. Today had been a relatively easy day at trial. Just looking at the evidence and Harold didn't act up against any of the scientific witnesses. This came as a relief though Krys and Parker weren't in the courtroom. The two of them were taking a well deserved break.

After the trial Booth had managed to talk his partner into grabbing a quick bite to eat with him. He did enjoy when they sat together and just talked, even if it was usually just about work. But in light of the trial Seeley found himself seeking out these little outings with Temperance more and more. It provided a welcome break.

"Are there usually this many people?" Temperance found herself asking her partner as she stood beside him near the door.

Seeley grunted in response with a bit of a smile as his eyes fell on their usual booth and who sat there. "Look who it is."

Temperance's eyes followed in the direction where Seeley was looking to their usual spot by the window. There sat Lance Sweets in his suit, tie loosened, munching on fries as he read his usual copy of the newspaper. It was difficult to miss how content he looked, even though he was just simply sitting there. Beside his right hand that rested on the table was his black phone that he would check every few seconds as though he was texting someone.

"Come on. Lets go pay Sweets a visit." Seeley told his partner with a smile.

"He looks as though he's almost finished." Temperance noted.

"Then he won't mind if we take over the booth as he's about to leave." Seeley concluded but his partner didn't seem to want to budge. This didn't phase him however and he reached out and gave his partner a playful nudge. "Come on, Bones... He's in our spot." Another boyish smile on his part as he teased poking her with his two fingers. "Quack. Quack." He gave her a bit of a wink which caused her to finally smile in return and the two approached the diner booth.

"Hey there Sweets." Seeley greeted as he stood in front of the man as Temperance slid into the opposite cushioned seat, and he followed right after her. "Anything good?" He questioned as the young psychologist looked up, helpless to keep his two 'patients' from helping themselves to a spot.

"Just the usual grilled cheese and french fries." Lance told the agent before looking to the anthropologist with a gentle smile. "Hello Doctor Brennan."

"We wanted to see how you were doing." Temperance offered rather calmly, not much of one for formalities but she would attempt to do so anyways. She wanted to be more like Seeley when it came to her people skills, so no better place to start than right now, with a friend.

"All things considered... Alright." Lance nodded, and then for no reason at all he gave a nervous laugh and his cheeks flushed bright red as he looked down at his lap, setting the newspaper down on the left side of the table.

"Just alright?" Seeley tilted his head at the psychologist. "You look happy." Agent Booth commented knowingly with a little smile. Reaching out he snagged a few fries from Lance's plate. "Wonder why that is." His tone said it all: He knew damn well why.

"No reason." Lance blushed even further even when Agent Booth reached out and poked his side a bit roughly, causing him to look up like a small child being tickled.

"Yeah. Right. No reason." Seeley shook his head. Since the discussion with Gordon Gordon he had been a bit more 'protective' of the young man. He couldn't explain it. He had been told it was part of the whole 'duck nonsense' but he didn't want to waste time thinking on it. "You and Robin have been getting pretty serious then?"

"Yeah." Lance couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face before he saw the agent stiffen and he blinked a bit startled. "Not as serious as you think. Not that kind anyways..." He didn't know why he felt the need to tell the FBI agent this other than self preservation. Truth be told Lance had been holding back on anything sexual. First off Krys didn't seem to want to push anything sexual and was perfectly content just cuddling, and secondly there was the certain issue of explaining the scars on his back...

"It is natural for two partners to experience sexual relations." Temperance spoke up, she was now also partaking in the stealing of fries. At this comment Seeley turned his widened eyes to his partner which caused her to make a correction. "Romantic partners, that is." This seemed to settle the agent's nerves and he returned to munching.

Lance meanwhile gave a low chuckle. "That is a very object and reasonable way of looking at things Doctor Brennan." He complimented her, his eyes and voice very gentle. He knew she knew of his past so he wouldn't have to explain too much. "But sometimes things aren't as simple as that and are beyond your reasoning." Their eyes met for a moment.

After a long quiet, Temperance finally gave a nod. "I accept your logic." And she went back to nibbling on a french fry.

Lance's phone vibrated on the table and he pressed the side button, lifting the screen up he read the words in quiet.

"You know... Krys is a very understanding kid." Seeley told him quietly. Perhaps his attempt at some reassurance? He wasn't even sure himself. "If you're worried about something.. Anything... She probably would... Understand.." Seeley also knew about Lance's past. He had been filled in quite some time ago, and he knew how hard it could be.

Lance shrugged his shoulders with a bit of a sigh before he moved to his feet. "I need to get home. Movie night."

Seeley couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. These two were a real couple now, doing something as lame as 'movie night'. Probably an endless parade of spaceships and laser guns. "You two have fun."

Lance smiled, he had to appreciate how kind these two were being. "Thanks. Goodnight Agent Booth. Doctor Brennan."

The two partners were now left alone, left with the bustling activity of the diner and the remains of Lance's food. Seeley didn't seem to mind one bit even though the seat opposite of them was empty and him and Temperance were cozily seated next to one another on the other end.

"You're behavior around Sweets has changed." Temperance noted matter of factly as if it was no big deal.

"Oh yeah?" Booth tried not to sound interested, but he was.

"Since Gordon brought up his past and since Sweets expressed interest in Krys, another individual with a troubled past, you've been going very easy on him. You're hardly taunting him, you're not trying to cause him bodily harm, and you're lecturing has decreased significantly." Temperance went on, thinking like the deductive scientist that she was. "I'm sure most would find it an admirable quality. You're very protective of the both of them."

"Do you find it admirable, Bones?" Seeley inquired, not looking at the woman.

"I do." She nodded. "It makes you human and quite admirable." Another quiet befell the two of them.

"The trial's going... Well.." Temperance attempted to make conversation, though she couldn't look at Seeley when she spoke.

"I don't think 'well' is the best way to describe it, Bones." Seeley shook his head sliding Lance's plate right over to himself. "But I agree that it hasn't been as... Eventful... Which is good." His mouth was now full and he was glad that he didn't have to speak.

"Since when do you enjoy the uneventful?" Temperance asked, genuinely curious. "You like the eventful."

"Actually, this time you're wrong Bones. I do work in the eventful... But uneventful is exactly where I like to be." The two looked to each other in quiet.

A few hours had passed after Lance Sweets arrived at his apartment. Krys was already there waiting for him outside the door with a little smile on her lips that made his heart absolutely melt. He had brought her inside where they both watched a movie ('Lord of the Rings' to be exact) and munched on snacks. It was after three hours of this perfectly content sitting around and holding that Lance found himself turning to face his girlfriend.

'I'm more of a Star Wars guy myself." He admitted with a bit of a shrug as he looked into her brown eyes.

"Yeah. But we've watched that every night for the past two weeks." He could hear her sarcastic tone but he knew that she was only teasing. "I can quote the whole trilogy by now and that's not really a skill I want to put on my resume." A smile as she rolled her eyes and her head against the nook of his shoulder, moving her legs right into his lap. He loved when she smiled.

"I love you." He found himself uttering softly. He couldn't help it, just sitting there looking at her he had to say it.

"I know." Her voice had been soft but he caught the glint in her eyes. She was teasing him. Quoting the movie they were talking about seconds before. She was quick witted and he adored that too.

Smiling softly, he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against her lips. But this single soft kiss turned into a more passionate one until Krys was upright on her knees, her hands moving up and down his back before moving to the front and undoing the buttons. Lance meanwhile found himself lifting her shirt right over her head, which she allowed, much to his delight, breaking the kiss for only a second before reconnecting rather passionately and well out of breath. His bare fingertips trailed down her bare skin. It was warm to the touch. His eyes fluttered open for a moment. He could see her bra. Black.. He chuckled into the kiss becoming quite caught up and closed his eyes again.

He felt her hands finishing off the buttons of his shirt and he spoke up in a breathy voice. "Krys." She kept on kissing him and he found his eyes opening. "Krys." His voice had been a bit louder, but even so Krys continued kissing him (the parts of his face and neck that he'd allow) and now her hands move to the flaps of the shirt as if to remove it and that caused Lance's loudest cry when he finally panicked. "Krys!"

This caused the analyst to retract back with widened eyes, just enough time for an embarrassed Lance to scoot to the end of the couch, wrapping his arms around his bare chest as he leaned forward, holding his opened shirt close to his body.

"Lance?..." Krys' voice was soft, even nervous and he felt awful for making her feel that way but couldn't make himself look at her. "Are you..." She stopped herself before moving up on her knees, bringing her shirt to cover her stomach. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Lance shook his head, running his hand through his brown hair. He fell very quiet. How could he tell her? Would she run away? His brow winced in agony from pondering.

"Okay..." Krys was at a loss of what to say and suddenly she felt very cold. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. Defeated and at a loss of what to do she leaned back in the couch, distancing herself as she figured that's what Lance needed.

"I have.." Lance turned his head around to look at her, a frown clear on his face and his eyes wet, barely able to focus as he tried to explain. "I have scars on my back... Bad scars." Krys looked to him with wide open, giving brown eyes, but he couldn't tell at all how she was feeling or what she was thinking. He wished more than anything that he could. "My biological father he used to wh-" He stopped himself, unable to say the words and he settled on just looking back down at his lap. "You can leave if you want."

Krys fell quiet for another few moments, as if thinking on something before she carefully moved up on her knees beside him. Her arms moved to drape over his chest, gently. He could push her away if he wanted. Craning her neck she pressed a soft kiss against his lower neck before kissing his cheek.

"You're perfect." She whispered to him, giving him a bit of a hug with a squeeze of her arms as she moved to kiss the other side of his face. "You're perfect." She said again and again as Lance forced out a teary laugh, nearly choking on air before he wiped at his eyes and turned back around to face her, pulling her close as they both knelt on the couch, holding one another.

"Please stay." He choked out, his face nestling into Krys' neck. "Please don't go."


	26. Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Lance laid on the left side of his bed, his bare left leg sticking out from under the covers. Hands resting on his chest as he stared up at the ceiling her let out a bit of a sigh accompanied by a little smile. Feeling the material of his pillow against the back of his head he finally managed to turn his head to look at the woman beside him.

"Hey." He wished he could have come up with something far more poetic than that as it was the first time they had given themselves over to one another fully. Doctor Brennan called it sex, Booth called it making love. Usually Sweets would have agreed with Doctor Brennan, it was a physical act therefore it went by it's scientific terminology. But for some reason, as he looked into those chocolate brown eyes, it was Booth's phrase 'making love' and nothing less.

"Hey." Krys returned with her own soft smile and uncharacteristically soft voice. Her hands held the blanket up and over her bare body for some reason feeling quite modest even though Lance had seen EVERYTHING moments before.

"So that was..." Lance shifted onto his side, propping his body up with his elbow as he faced his girlfriend, unable to come up with a word to describe it.

"What?" Krys looked to him with gentle yet questioning eyes. The logical part of her expecting some sort of answer though really it should have just been some sort of 'bedside' talk. Upon further study her brow ended up raising curiously at the lack of response. Lance seemed far more comfortable with the momentary quiet than she was.

Now on his side he reached out his arms and wrapped them around Krys' bare upper body (though still somewhat hidden by the blanket) and pressed a kiss on her lips, then her nose, then her cheek, then anywhere that he could reach as he seemed to be in a playful mood. Krys laughed and cringed out of instinct, trying to reach out her hands to stop him but Lance wouldn't given in. He could be a pretty determined individual when he put his mind to it.

"Stop." Krys managed through her soft laughs as the two playfully wrestled amongst the sheets and blankets.

Of course she wasn't angry and Lance was feeling particularly happy and childish so he continued his little 'assault' until finally Krys gave up, possibly for the first time in her life, and just let it happen. It was only then that Lance chuckled and finally ceased before resting his head in the nook between her shoulder and head. She still smelled like lilac. Lilac and sweat. And he enjoyed this too.

"I win." Lance pursed his lips outward and pressed a soft kiss against the lower side of her face, as it was the only place that he could reach without lifting his neck.

Krys smiled, almost a tired smirk, and shut her eyes for a moment. "Yeah. Yeah. I'll let you think that." Her sarcastic tone was once again present in her voice and Lance was happy for it. Things were back to normal, perhaps better than that. Far better. They were together now. There was another quiet and it was then that Krys turned her head, her eyes locked on Lance and her face was expressionless at her admittance: "I love you."

Lance felt his lips curve into a smile of recognition. This was just as good as when she stood on the Jefferson lab platform announcing it to the world. Whenever she said those three words he always felt the same, absolutely wonderful way.

"I love you too." He said back to her, he could feel his heart racing, even now. Not nearly as hard as it was when her and him were... Well... Some things were better left to the imagination. Even his own.

Soon Lance found that Krys was snuggled right into his bare chest, her face against his upper side, his arm draped over her loosely yet protectively. This, by all of the definitions known to man, was perfect.

Lance let out a soft sigh and Krys' head went up and down with it. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He confided to the young woman, though he didn't have the heart to look at her and instead focused up on the ceiling.

Krys however, seemed a tad bolder and she tilted her head up to look at him with curious brown eyes. "I am?"

This caused Lance to turn his eyes onto the young woman that he loved so much. His brow raised in disbelief. How could she doubt him? And despite these questions Lance didn't feel the pressing psychologist part of his brain trying to make an appearance. If he had noticed he would have been very proud. This was the first time that it hadn't happened.

"You are." Lance Sweets stated simply, a smile once again gracing his pouty lips. His arm gave her body a bit of a squeeze and he felt Krys' body relax. But he couldn't let it rest there as his playful side got the best of him once again. "You are. You are. You are. You are." Each comment was followed by a soft, reassuring kiss on another part of her upper body until his final kiss rested on her bare shoulder, lingering there for a moment or two.

"Lance." Krys' voice was so soft and he could tell just by the sound that her mind wasn't focused on being silly. Never the less he was accepting of it and lifted his head in the air blinking at her. "I have to go on the stand tomorrow."

So that was it! "I know." Lance shifted onto his side again, perfectly content just lounging and looking at her. "You'll be fine Krys. Out of anyone that I know, you can handle this." His left hand rested on his cheek as his other hand reached out to rest reassuringly on her shoulder blade. "I'll be there for support."

"You don't need to." Krys looked right at him then with a sincerity that couldn't be denied.

"I know." Lance cocked his head with a boyish smile. "I'm a psychologist and your boyfriend. It's kind of my thing." Had he just made a joke? He wouldn't have been so sure of that fact if it wasn't for Krys smiling and blushing a light pink, shaking her head she turned away from him as she laid at her side playing at being 'difficult'.

"Hey." Lance wouldn't let her get away that easily and reaching his arm around her he pulled her right back to his chest causing her to laugh and he returned the sentiment before letting out a sigh and much to his own surprise, he began to sing a song softly for no apparent reason.

"_Christopher Robin and I walked along, under branches lit up by the moon posing our questions as our days disappeared all too soon. I've wandered much further back than I should and I can't seem to find my way back to the wood. So help me if you can.. I've got to get back.."_ It was then that Lance felt a soft kiss against his cheek and he blinked, startled, he looked to Krys. "What?"

"Nothing." Krys relaxed back with a sigh, settling back in as she closed her eyes. "It was just as good as I thought it would be."

Lance let out his own sigh and looked back to the ceiling, getting comfortable amongst the sheets and with her body pressed against his. This was happiness. If only he knew of what was to come.


	27. Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Lance Sweets found himself taking a slow inhaling breath of preparation as he sat in the United States Courtroom as Krys finally seated herself in the little wooden booth beside the judge. An hour had already passed without a recess and Lance had half expected one to occur but it seemed that Miss Julian was on a roll and the judge didn't wish to interupt it, or maybe he just hadn't glanced at his watch. Either way Lance found himself possessed with the uncharacteristic urge of having to urinate. It seemed he was just as nervous about all of this as his girlfriend was and though he had attempted to approach everything logically and psychologically he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Lance turned his gaze momentarily to the right to glance at the other side of the courtroom where he discovered Agent Booth was seated well on the edge of his seat and quite rigid beside Doctor Brennan. Lance couldn't help but wonder if this man was as worried as he was. After all, the FBI Agent did know Krys rather well, some would say too well (enough to nearly kill him over a simple misunderstanding when they weren't even sleeping together), so it was entirely plausible for him to worry.. If Agent Booth ever worried about anything.

His eyes then looked to Doctor Temperance Brennan whose face, as usual, seemed oddly unaffected nor attached by what was going on in front of them, though her expression did maintain a sense of perplexedness. It was a face she often wore when inspecting bones in her line of work. The psychologist couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her head. He was always quite curious by the goings on in the bright woman's skull, how she functioned, how she did just about everything.

Lance felt a pat on his shoulder as Jack Hodgins and Angela Montanegro slid into place as quietly as they could manage, holding hands. They had been late and Lance could only presume why but judging by Angela's slightly tossled hair it was pretty apparent, at least to a bright mind like Lance Sweets. All the power to them. It wasn't like Lance couldn't appreciate a quick 'tumble in the hay' after all, he had partaken in one last night.

Lance's eyes met with Jack's who gave him a reassuring nod, the most affection Lance had ever received from the man, and he acknowledged it with a weak smile before looking to his lap. The psychologist heard Wendell hush Vincent from behind him. Clearly the British intern had been speaking far too loud about some random fact about the history of gavels and his temporary roommate took it upon himself to not allow him to make a fool of himself. Leave it to Vincent Nigel Murray to be a, what Krys called, "Snapple cape of knowledge". Lance shook his head a bit at the thought as he ran his pale hands over his dark pant legs.

It was Caroline Julian's voice that brought Lance back to reality as he turned his eyes back on the front of the courtroom. "-And how long were you held Miss Robin?" Lance blinked at these strong words from the prosecuting attorney. How long had she been questioning? In glancing around at everyone else he had missed quite a bit. Lance made up his mind then and there to not spy on his 'patients' anymore when he was off the clock, let alone when his girlfriend was in the front of a bunch of people being questioned. He had to learn to separate the professional and the personal though with the Jeffersonian employees that seemed impossible.

"I couldn't really tell because the windows were boarded up." Krys shifted a bit uncomfortably in her chair and Lance felt his back stiffen as a wave of protectiveness washed over him, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it except stay put. "I was later informed it was a couple of days."

"How many?" Caroline Julian had interjected a little too quickly, obviously needing an exact number for the record.

"Three." Krys spoke up with slightly widened and worried eyes, almost a little too quickly. Lance could tell she was trying to be objective, she was trying to distance herself from the words she was saying, but judging by the strain of worry on her face that she may have made a mistake in testifying, Lance could tell she was failing. "Three days." Krys swallowed, Lance noticed how she was diverting her eyes in every which way but at Harold.

"And how did you end up in the shed pictured here?" Caroline poised aloud as she pointed toward a large blown up picture of the run down shack that had been a prison both to the data analyst and Parker.

"After running the code I found through the computer data base and combining that with the recording device that Doctor Brennan mentioned earlier I came to the conclusion..." Krys' voice momentarily faded and her eyes darted slightly, clearing her throat in the process as she tried to find her voice. "That Parker Booth, Agent Booth's son was an intended victim." Lance Sweets saw Krys look right at Agent Booth. In turning his head he saw the Agent look back with the same sincerity and patience that clearly showcased the two's relationship. There was a sense of 'duty' there, a sense of retribution and paying back of favors. Were they even now? Sweets couldn't help but wonder if they had some sort of agreement drafted up. Who was he kidding? Of course they didn't. "So I contacted Agent Booth, but he didn't pick up. So, I went to Parker's mother's home.. His sitter was tied up." Lance watched with a painful twinge in his heart as he noticed that his girlfriend wasn't even looking up anymore but rather speaking to her lap. "I untied her and told her to go for help. Ha— The defendant then hit me over the head and brought me there."

"Where?" Gosh, could Caroline just wait a damn second?! Lance felt his eyes narrow but another reassuring hand on his shoulder on Hodgins' part kept him in check.

"There." Krys looked up and pointed right to the picture before looking right back at Caroline.

"And what do you think was the defendant's intention?" So Caroline was just pounding out the facts now. Going right for the jugular so to speak. She knew she had a case and it showed in her ferocity and ruthlessness.

"Like his other past victims, I am sure he would have killed myself and Parker if help didn't come." Krys replied in an honest, soft voice and she couldn't seem to even look at Caroline in the eye anymore.

"Thank you." Caroline nodded curtly. "The prosecution rests your honor." And with that she turned and walked right back to her seat, almost immediately the intimidating defense attorney popped up. This was an action that caused Caroline to straighten with a raised brow, something Lance didn't miss. Something was going on. With how quickly the attorney popped up it was clear he had something to throw out into the open about the murder/kidnapping charges. And it wasn't going to be good.

"Miss Robin." The attorney greeted with a single nod, causing Krys' lips to slightly part. "As Miss Julian previously stated you are a data analyst for the FBI.. Is that correct?"

"I am." Krys nodded as her brow raised curiously at this line of seemingly simple questioning. "Since 2002. Agent Booth-" She began as her eyes trailed toward the FBI agent but she was cut off by the attorney.

"Thank you." He now was being particularly harsh and Lance's fingers squeezed the wooden bench hard, his fingers turning white. "So is it in your job description to run off playing hero?"

"I wasn't-" Krys' eyes had widened but she was cut off again.

"Yes or no is fine Miss Robin." The defense attorney said flatly and Lance was fairly certain he'd break the bench from how hard he was squeezing it.

"No." Her mouth opened again to speak.

"So you went to that home of your own free will, did you not?" Where was he going with this?

"I-" Krys caught his expression before answering and quickly corrected herself. "Yes."

"And my client didn't have any idea that you would be at the home... Did he?" The defense attorney looked to the jury with a shrug. "I mean, how could he? Unless he's a psychic." He turned back to look at Krys. "Is he a psychic Miss Robin?" Krys couldn't speak but luckily the judge's patience was thin.

"What are you getting at Mister Ramirez?"

"One of the charges against my client, which is at best kidnapping given that the supposed victim of this particular accusation is sitting right here..."

"Objection your honor!" Thank god, Caroline was on her feet and Lance felt momentarily relieved.

"Yes Miss Julian?" The judge looked to her behind glasses.

"On the accounts that the defense attorney is being a complete jackass." Caroline frowned, though she secretly knew all too well where this was going.

"Sit down Miss Julian." The judge sighed and looked back to the defense. "Is there a point to all of this berating Mister Ramirez?"

"Yes your honor." Defense attorney Ramirez turned his gaze back on Krys as he pieced things together quite rapidly and with growing volume. "You did not have to go to the place of residence. You chose to go of your own free will. My client couldn't possibly know that you'd be at home when this particular crime was perpetrated therefore it goes from premeditated, a far heavier charge, to spur of the moment which changes intent. An intent which fits my client's current psychological evaluation which is that he isn't of sound mind when he performs these crimes. He performs them in moments of obvious insanity." Lance didn't like this Ramirez fellow one bit. "You ma'am took it upon yourself to go to the home, to be a hero like out of some sort of movie and you ended up with the consequence, however unfair and terrible as it may be the crime was not premeditated and occurred through your own lack of professionalism."

Lance's eyes were wide and he watched in horror as his girlfriend began to shudder trying to form words but none would come. She was overwhelmed, her eyes were wet with tears, he could tell that she was breaking down and he immediately moved to stand but this time Wendell's hands came from behind and kept him in place. Fueling the fire was Krys' lack of response and inability to form words as she looked back and forth, looking about ready to vomit or pass out. Making it worse was Ramirez now continuing to harass her.

"Did it not?" Ramirez asked with a sense of urgency to his voice but Krys couldn't even look at him. "Didn't it?!" He barked at her causing her to wince and she was now crying, everyone in the courtroom seemed less than appreciative.

"I... I... I... I don't think..." Krys' voice trailed off and she was now shaking her head. Lance felt like his heart would leap out of his chest.

But Ramirez wouldn't let it die. He was on a roll. "In a way you brought this on yourself... DIDN'T YOU?"

"Objection your honor!" Caroline was on her feet again, this time quite defiant and firm.

That did it for Agent Booth who immediately stood right up in obvious anger, red in the face. "You bastard!" Lance's head whipped around to look at the Agent who was now being restrained by Doctor Brennan.

"Order! Order!" The judge banged his gavel before pointing it at Seeley. "Sit down Agent Booth or I'll have you removed!"

"Go ahead and do it!" Seeley yelled, too wrapped up in his own 'papa bear' nature to give in now. His eyes set on Ramirez. "How dare you say it's her fault! What the hell are you on Ramirez?" He demanded, he would have leapt over the barricade if it wasn't for Temperance holding him back.

"Order! Order!" The judge called again, but it was too late, Lance Sweets was also now on his feet (feeling obligated to do so) and then so was Jack Hodgins, and Vincent who just wanted to fit in, and Wendell who practically idolized Booth. Harold meanwhile let out a loud animal like cry that caused Krys' eyes to shoot right at him and he gave her a bit of a wink. Without asking to leave Krys scooted out from behind the stand and hurried through the crowd as best she could, wrapping her arms around her chest as Harold threatened to follow if it wasn't for the cop on duty grabbing him and 'locking him up'.

"Krys!" Lance tried to follow her but other bodies kept getting in the way. He tried to push them aside but it was no use, still he tried to push right through him. "KRYS! COME BACK!"

The courtroom was turning into a circus, one the judge needed to control. "I order this courtroom cleared! RIGHT NOW!"

The last thing Lance heard as he pushed out of the courtroom was the obnoxious banging of a gavel.


	28. Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

"Krys!" Lance called out, his heart racing his baby face had taken on a panicked look. "Krys!" Despite his calling, which echoed in the hallway, she didn't turn around. But Lance, being a smart man, knew that his legs were longer than hers and eventually he would catch up. "Krys please!" Finally he managed to wrap his long fingers around her wrist, making her stop and face him, though she wasn't necessarily looking at him.

"This is getting to be a regular thing you know." He gave a bit of a lopsided grin, his face a bit red from running. "Me chasing you." He attempted to tease but as Krys moved to walk away again he kept his firm grip on her, pulling her right back like a yo-yo. "Krys, look at me." He sighed, his smile now completely gone from his features.

"I told you this was going to happen." Krys murmured, barely audible.

"What?" Lance's brow furrowed. "What did you tell me?"

"That is why I said no." Krys' head shot right up and her brown eyes locked on Lance's face as she pointed toward the courtroom. "That, back there, is exactly why I didn't want to do this!"

"I'm sorry that happened. I really am." Lance said his sad brown puppy dog eyes filled with honesty. He knew she was hurting and there was something more there, and it drove him crazy that as a psychologist he couldn't figure out what it was. "But none of us knew that was going to happen. And if anything it made their case even weaker! Don't you see?" He reached toward her with his left hand, toward her face to feel her skin but she immediately withdrew.

"Don't." Krys said suddenly, her eyes diverted back to the floor as she rubbed the back of her neck with her right hand. Slowly she took an inhaling breath to calm her nerves which were currently running on high. "Please don't." She finally managed to get out in a calm voice, one which was weighted down by some unseen force.

"I'm sorry..." Sweets admitted feeling utterly helpless as his hand that hung in the air from before now moved to tuck into his pants pockets. "I was just trying to help."

"I know that." Krys said quietly, feeling horribly guilty. "I know you're just trying to help but right now, you aren't." She knew that she was pushing him away, but he couldn't possibly understand and there wasn't any way that she could make him see. And his prodding wasn't exactly helping.

"I'm sorry..." Lance repeated again and he felt his chest tighten and suddenly felt short of breath. But still he managed to force out the words: "I love you."

"I love you too." Krys' voice took on the same quality as Lance's. Quiet. Barely audible.

"It's just so hard to get through to you sometimes." Lance found himself straining as he voiced his concerns like the eager psychologist that he was, and Krys would listen. "You just have this ability to shut everything in and I never know what you're thinking so I can't help like I want to." He knew he'd regret going professional on her, but he felt the odd urge to. "You have an inability to share your personal feelings on subjects that you'd rather avoid completely."

"Maybe there's a good reason for that. Maybe sometimes it's best to not talk about things. Maybe you're not right all of the time." Krys rambled off the reasons hoping that maybe one would satisfy him. "Maybe I don't want to talk about certain things and I'd just rather say them than have you jump on one and drag me through it all over again."

"I _jump _on things?" Sweets repeated with a frown and was filled with disbelief even though he knew it was true. Doctor Temperance Brennan had once accused him of the same exact thing and he knew it was the truth no matter how much he wished to deny it.

Krys felt awful for telling him what she did, but he wanted honesty, she would give it to him. Even so she felt guilty and immediately softened, looking up. "Sometimes things are just what people tell you they are and there isn't any deeper meaning, Lance."

Another quiet. Lance knew she was right, but he hated being wrong (which often was the case in much of what he did, especially in the company of Gordon Gordon).

"I just want to understand what's going on in your head." The words came out of Lance's mouth before he could even think to stop them. The psychologist part of him had won out and beat the crap out of the man who loved the young woman before him.

"My head?" Krys froze and Lance could see her face fall into one of sadness and blankness. "So I'm just a big puzzle for you to figure out? Because you can't figure out every aspect of my person, _that's _why you like me?" She was hurting... bad. And Lance knew it.

"No." Lance frowned, he felt like he was near tears. He somehow doubted that dear William would have ever been in this pitiful state in this awful situation. "I mean yes." He corrected and realized he sounded like a complete idiot. "That's why I like you, but that is not why I love you."

Krys looked to his eyes and Lance immediately saw the tears. "It's not fair."

He swallowed. "No. No it's not."

After a moment Krys closed the space between the two of them and wrapped her arms right around his lower back (as she was a bit shorter than he was). Her face buried into his chest as she gave him a tight squeeze. Lance's arms instinctively went around her, pulling her close as his chin rested atop her head amidst her brown hair allowing the silence to exist for a few moments. Krys was the first one to break the quiet.

"I'm not good at this part." She admitted, her soft voice muffled against his front.

"Which?" Lance inquired, his fingers lightly playing with her strands of brown hair.

Krys took a step back and Lance unwillingly let her go. "I'm usually behind a computer, in my own little world. Safe." She gave a little laugh mixed in with tears and Lance found that he was smiling, reaching out he wiped a tear off of her face. "I'm not good at this people to people stuff like you are, Lance."

"Some people have a knack for it." He attempted to joke with a little smile, reaching out to touch her hair again, pushing it behind her ears.

"I tried, I really did. I practiced with Caroline. I went over my answers, I even practiced in the mirror so I wouldn't freak out no matter what, even with being in the same room as him." Krys was beginning to cry again and Lance felt anger rush through him at what happened back in the courtroom. "But I did. I couldn't even do that right." Her voice broke now and she had to look away. "I'm sorry."

"No." His brow furrowed again as he inclined his head toward her. "It's not your fault." He touched her face again and this time, she let him. Smiling as he looked upon her he was perfectly content in this split second.

"Lance..." Krys sniffled a bit and he saw a glimpse of something in her brown eyes but he couldn't catch it. "If you could do anything to keep the people you love safe.. Would you?"

"Me? Well, I..." Lance blinked, a bit startled by the question and he tried to steady himself. "Of course I would." His eyes landed on her with all of the love in the world. "I'd do anything for you." He reassured her in a soft voice before kissing her right on the forehead. He leaned his brow against hers for a moment. "You mean the world to me."

"I love you." Krys admitted again, taking in this moment before she finally made up her mind. Hiding her 'vendetta' well, she took a step back, plastering on a rather decent, weak, fake smile. "I'm going to go back to my apartment... Just, watch some tv and go to bed. Ok?" She reached out to give his hand a squeeze before pressing a soft kiss against his lips and then backing away.

Lance could only watch as she backed away. "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

Krys glanced over her shoulder, giving him a hurried nod before she turned around and walked off, leaving Lance all alone. And none of this sat well with him at all...


	29. Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Everyone had been pretty busy with the trial but some sought solace in their work. Doctor Brennan occasionally snuck away to the Jeffersonian to do some categorizing of remains, Agent Booth spent time with Parker (as much as Rebecca and Captain Fantastic would allow), Vincent and Wendell were playing out the roommates angle to the fullest, Jack and Angela had been spending an increasing amount of time with one another, while Doctor Saroyan returned home to her new daughter every night. Lance however had allowed his casework attention to slide, especially when it came to a certain two partners.

With his newfound bit of free time he decided to hold a makeshift session with the two of them until he could call Krys and spend the night with her. She had asked for some time to herself and Lance wasn't about to trample on that, though he did feel like he needed to hold her on this night, and who knows, maybe she needed to be held. Of course he couldn't tell her that or even text it, she would have probably socked him one in the gut especially if he somehow managed to mess up the utterance of words as he usually tended to.

This particular session was taking place in the Royal Diner, a safe haven for all of the Jeffersonian employees. Hot, greasy food, good company, open 24/7. It was like, twenty times better than Dennys. Could it get any better?

"So you're saying that this case isn't affecting you?" Lance asked with a curious raised brow directed toward the FBI Agent.

"Not at all." Agent Booth informed him with a mouth filled with cheeseburger.

"Even though it directly involves your son and his kidnapper? I find that hard to believe." Lance frowned. He was getting tired of this brave front the agent often put up around everyone.

"Believe it Sweets." Booth swallowed before reaching out for a napkin and wiping his face. "Your girlfriend is involved in this case. Is it affecting you?"

"This session isn't about me." Lance had been a bit surprised by the tables being turned but he managed to keep a calm face, something he was getting better at day by day with the partners.

"That's what I thought." Seeley crammed another french fry into his mouth without making eye contact. "Don't ask questions you already know the answers to Sweets." Booth grunted before looking toward his partner. "Pass the salt, Bones."

"Booth is very professional." Temperance spoke up rather calmly, passing her partner the little salt shaker. "He doesn't allow his personal feelings to get in the way of a case."

"Ya hear that Sweets?" Seeley looked to the young psychologist now giving him a bit of a grin. "I'm a professional."

"Yeah.. I heard." Lance sighed as he watched Seeley steal one of his fries. "Help yourself." Lance rolled his eyes. He knew there'd be no point in arguing any of this. One against two always lost. "I'm almost done with my book." He attempted to try something the partners did, which was discuss work as often as possible. But of course they threw it back in his face.

"The one about us?" Seeley looked up curiously, his mouth finally free of food for a moment.

"Just how our minds interact with one another Booth." Temperance sighed, obviously disinterested. "Sweets is using his 'powers of observation' to write a book. It's just a book." She was an author herself and she had never thought of psychology as a valid profession. Everyone knew this. "And it'll have little to no affect seeing as it's in a fraud field."

"Your irrational prejudice against psychology is noted Doctor Brennan." Lance sighed, tilting his head slightly. "As always."

"That's not true." Temperance looked up with a frown, only to receive an unflattering look from the psychologist across from her. "Alright. It's entirely true." She murmured, taking a sip of her strawberry milkshake.

"After all Sweets has done for our cases you still don't believe that psychology is even a teeny little bit productive?" Seeley asked his partner in disbelief.

"Don't worry Agent Booth. I'll get Doctor Brennan on psychology's side so she eat, breathes, sleeps, and makes love to it." Lance said only to blink realizing his error in dialogue. "That came out wrong."

"Society steers us Sweets, not some sort of accident we have as a kid. The way Booth and I interact with one another is not the product of a terrible birthday party we had at age three." Temperance frowned, about ready to get in another one of their 'debates'.

"That's enough you two." Seeley warned before moving two napkin dispensers to the center of the table. "There's a wall here. No fighting over this wall." His dark brown eyes then looked to Lance in warning and pointed. "And this is not a metaphor for how I'm feeling, I just want you to be quiet."

Temperance stared at the silver dispensers. "Those are just napkin holders." She declared in a flat voice, stating the obvious as she reached out with slender hands and spread them apart from one another.

"I know that, Bones." Seeley sighed, shaking his head before he looked up at the psychologist. "How are you and Krys doing?"

Lance was a bit surprised that Booth was actually asking him about his personal life, but he wasn't about to not answer. This was progress! "Just fine thanks."

"Just... Fine?" Booth questioned and now Lance felt that he was in the middle of one of his interrogations.

"Well yeah... What can you expect with trial and everything? Things have been a little rough. Wicked stressful." Lance fished his hand into his pants pocket, pulling out his phone and checked the front of it before bringing it to his ear and pressing a code of four numbers.

"It is an extremely stressful situation." Temperance agreed, on a rare occasion, with Lance, taking another sip of her milkshake. At the same time Lance's brow was furrowed with concern while he listened to the voice message.

"Sweets." Booth sat up, looking to the young man with concern. "What is it?"

Lance appeared phased, unable to speak. He cleared his throat and brought the phone down holding it close to his chest. "It's Krys.. She's really upset.. I could barely hear her. She kept saying she was sorry.. Over and over.." His eyes darted back and forth, unable to focus on just one thing as he felt his body be overcome with worry.

This was enough for Seeley who was immediately on his feet. "Come on. Lets go."


	30. Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Lance rushed to the door of Krys' apartment. He had only been there twice before but he remembered that she was on the second floor and with Booth and Bones on his tail he suddenly realized how darned cramped the hall was. In his panicked state, where he wasn't exactly thinking straight, he already made a mental note to find her a bigger place. There was no way that she could live here any longer, even if he had to try and pretend that he had power with the FBI just to get her a little raise, maybe some severance pay that she didn't receive during her time away.

No time to think on that now. As his pale hand reached out for the handle he found that it was locked. He gave the door a loud few knocks which soon turned into loud, frantic smacks with his open palm.

"Krys!" His voice was already hoarse from how loud he was yelling. "Krys! Open the door!" _Oh god. This is not good. _The psychologist couldn't even feel his heart beat anymore, it was racing so quickly that every pulse had now become one long strand. He gave the door another few smacks. "KRYS!"

"Sweets." Luckily Agent Booth wouldn't let him panic for much longer, maybe because he was also worried. "Move." He practically grunted as he gently guided the psychologist aside before giving the weak apartment door a hard kick causing it to swing open and reveal Krys' apartment.

"You're going to need to pay for that." Temperance lectured as a side note, trying to play that she wasn't affected by everyone's panic, but really she was just as worried as they were.

"Krys?" Lance led the charge into the apartment.

The living room looked fine. It was dim. Agent Booth made his way into the kitchen along with Doctor Brennan. Everything was still. Too still. Lance found himself opening the door to the bathroom. Still nothing. He even checked the shower. Moving backwards he spotted the far hallway. The bedroom. The door was open just a crack and he knew besides the closet it was the last place that she could be. He felt his heart sink.

"Krys?" Lance called out quietly, reaching out with his pale hand he guided the door open with his knuckles. The bed was unmade, he couldn't see anyone at first and for a moment he felt relieved.. Until he heard the soft breathing, it was labored, and he knew he wasn't alone. Then he saw it... A small pool of red liquid on the other end of the bed. That's when he couldn't control himself anymore and found himself practically leaping to the other side. That's where he found her.

"Oh god. Krys..." His voice was breathless as he knelt down in his worried state, his widened eyes surveying over the damage. Her brown hair was messy, her brow was sweaty, she was in her pajamas. In her lap were her wrists face up, large gashes in the skin pouring red liquid. Loosely clasped in her fingers that no longer seemed to hold function, was a knife, also drenched with blood. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Krys had cut her wrists. Lance Sweets couldn't even find the words. "What did you do?" He felt his eyes getting wet, at a total loss of what to do himself.

"I'm tired." The poor girl whimpered with her back pressed up against the side of the mattress which was currently the only thing keeping her body up. "I can't do this anymore." Her brown eyes were stained with tears, even now. Her face was pale but her eyes were red. "It's my fault."

"Sh... Sh..." Lance tried to quiet her. Extra speaking wouldn't help her now. Meanwhile he reached out and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, bringing her close to him. He wasn't sure anything he did could, but in the heat of the moment he was willing to try. "I have to get you up now." And without bracing her any more he lifted her up, she let out a breath as the rush hit her, but he toughed through it, bringing her to the bed.

"Come on." Though he was more whispering to himself as he laid her down on the bed, if even for her own comfort. In his own worry he reached out and ripped a part of her sheets proceeding to tie one around her left wrist. "It doesn't look deep." He could only hear her sniffle now and it broke his heart. She didn't believe his pathetic attempts at being helpful, and truth be told, he wasn't believing them either. "Maybe you didn't cut.." He couldn't finish his words and he found that his own eyes were growing increasingly wet. He reached for the sheet again pulling off another piece and wrapping that around her right wrist. By this point he heard people enter the room and he knew it was Agent Booth and Doctor Brennan.

Agent Booth wanted to go to her but he saw how upset she was, the state she was in.. She was dying and right now despite the company she only seemed to have eyes for Sweets. And so he pulled out his phone, handing it to Doctor Brennan. "Call 911." She could handle that much. He then strode right toward the bed. No, this wasn't going to happen, it couldn't be happening. Not to Krys Robin.

"They said it was my fault." Krys sniffled, her cheeks wet as her back was almost limp against her wooden backboard of her bed. "It's my fault."

"No. Sh.. No.." Lance couldn't even form complete sentences and he found that in his state of panic his hands, though covered in blood began to frantically, though gently touch and clutch her. His pale hand moved through her messy hair, to clasp her cheek, to feel her skin as if to breathe life back into it. "It'll be alright. An ambulance is coming." At least, he hoped one was. "It's coming for you and we'll get this fixed."

"I'm so tired of being alone." Krys forced out, her head lulling to the right. The tears were taking more and more out of her.

"You're not." Lance frowned, he felt his bottom lip begin to quiver from a mix of his own helplessness and frustration. His hand quickly moved to rest on her cheek in reassurance. "You're not." Perhaps it was a little late. "I'm here..." He cooed to her quietly, his thumb drawing little circles on her cheek, getting some blood there but he didn't realize in the moment as he looked right into her eyes.

"Sweets. Apply pressure to the wrists." Agent Booth said gruffly, and softly, he found it difficult to find his own voice. The kid was a doctor but in the heat of the moment, sometimes you forgot things. He couldn't let this be one of those times. "We've got an ambulance on the way."

Lance had turned back to look at the agent so he could understand what he said. Upon hearing those words he nodded, though he was completely out of it and then turned back to Krys only to discover that she had curled up onto her side in the midst of the covers and sheets.

Her eyes closed she whimpered out: "It just hurts so much. I just wanted to make it go away."

"It's alright." Lance found the words rushing out of his mouth quietly as he moved to carefully guide her onto her back before climbing on top of her so that she couldn't overexert herself. His shaky hands somehow found their ways onto her bandaged wrists. "Don't move. I've got you."

"I shouldn't have called you." She went on, she was rambling now though her voice was wearing. "I was going to call in sick but I just wanted to... I messed up." She cringed again and Lance could feel her tremble and shake, though it was reducing because she was running out of energy.

"It's okay." Lance was running out of reassuring things to say, especially as he felt the blood seeping through the makeshift bandages. "She's going to bleed out..." He called out in a weak voice, trying desperately to be loud so that Agent Booth could hear.

The FBI agent looked over his shoulder quickly in his own state of worry. "Bones, go flag them down!"

Booth's orders and yelling became blurs in the back of Lance's mind now. All he could see was Krys, laying on the bed, under him as he sat on her waist, his arms pressing down on her wrists above her head. Her teary eyes, the warm blood seeping through his fingers. _Oh god. No. Please god no. _"Sh... It's alright." False promises that were now more for himself than her.

"I'm sorry." Krys was beginning to convulse every now and then with the effort of her crying. Her brown eyes were pleading, desperate. Her right hand somehow freed itself and grabbed onto Lance's collar. "I.. I... I just want you to know how sorry I am."

Lance's hand found it's way around her wrist near his collar, holding on for dear life. He was at a loss. "I... I don't understand." He felt absolutely helpless.

"I'm sorry." She repeated again. Her voice was getting softer. "I love you."

Lance was crying now and he felt himself snort, a sick little laugh. A weak one, a forced one. "And you berate me for my bad timing." Krys' lips curved in a smile but no sparkle was found in her eyes and Lance found that his smile faded easily. And he couldn't help but ask what was on his mind, as this may be the last time. "What were you thinking?" His voice had been barely audible. It was a stupid question, and he knew it. But no sooner than he had uttered the words he saw Krys' brown eyes roll back and she threatened to close her eyes. Lance however couldn't let that happen and gave her shoulders a shake.

"Hey." No response. Her eyes wouldn't open. He tried again, louder this time. "Hey!" Her eyes fluttered open but refused to focus. "Look at me." She was looking to the side and he gave her another shake. "Don't look away. Look at me." Her eyes started to go one way but wouldn't land on him. Another shake. "Hey." His hands jutted out to grasp her by the face and make her look at him, and he saw those brown orbs. And in that moment, teary eyes and all he gave her a weak smile. "Hey you." He gave a bit of a sniffle but found that it didn't help, not him anyways. His left hand reached up to clasp her cheek once again, so very gently. He smiled gazing down at her, as best as he could.

She wasn't speaking, he didn't know if it was because she physically couldn't or she just wouldn't. "Stubbornest girl I know." Lance commented and Agent Booth couldn't help but watch from the sideline. "Most irrate and difficult person I've ever met.." His thumb massaged her cheek and he could see her brown eyes dimming. "I love you..." The words came out breathless and his smile faded. This was it.

He felt Krys take in a slow inhale and her words came out softly. "I'm scared." She admitted as tears stung at her eyes but would no longer fall. Her chest convulsed again.

Lance was in a panic. He couldn't think of what to say. There was nothing he could do to make this better, no medical mumbo jumbo that would help. What could he possibly do. And that's when it struck him.

"Krys Robin and I walked along under branches.." Lance began to sing in a barely heard voice, threatening to crack. His fingers running through her hair so gently. He was desperate and right now he didn't care that he was attempting to sing a song in front of Booth, a children's song at that. "Lit up by the moon posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore as our.. our..." He lost the words and was becoming overwhelmed with the stress that prevented him from saying them but finally, some solace. "Our days.. Disappeared.." He hated these lyrics now. "All too soon.."

And now looking back down from her forehead to her eyes he saw that they were closed. Blinking with confusion and fright he cut his song short. "Krys?" Nothing. Reaching his arms out he gave her a gentle shake. "Krys?!" His fingers clutched at her shoulders as he heard the EMTs enter in the kitchen. "Krys. Wake up!" He then felt himself being yanked off of her, but he wasn't about to give up without a fight. He struggled, he kicked, he swung, and he knew by the firm hold that Agent Booth was holding him around the waist preventing him from getting free. But all he could see was Krys, lifeless, being crowded.

"KRYS!" Lance gave one last shout out of desperation before he felt Agent Booth turn him around forcefully and bring him into a hug.

As he cried into the man's shoulder Lance Sweets, the psychologist who knew everything, didn't know a damn thing.


	31. Chapter 30

*NOTE: Sorry about my extremely long absence… I was cast in a few shows, got a bit of work, and all of that fun stuff (including a nerdy boyfriend). I also found a roleplay site for Criminal Minds (lame I know) that I really liked where I play Krys so I guess that's where all of my writing has been going. No worries! I hated leaving you guys hanging and I just *had* to come back. Hopefully some of you will forgive me and stick with me. I also apologize if it reads wonky. I haven't watched 'Bones' in a while (once Daisy became more of a regular I wanted to off myself) nor have I worked on this story. Hopefully it's okay!

CHAPTER THIRTY

Lance's eyes looked up at the ceiling of the courtroom. He had just realized that he had never taken in the time to take in the detail of the place. It was actually quite pretty. There were some marks here and there but that was to be expected of any place with age. It was white, sure not all that original, but it could be appreciated especially when one noted the texture and curves that it presented. It was hard to imagine that he had been on this stand for various cases and had never once stopped to appreciate the scenery. He had always been all business… How sad was that?

"Doctor Sweets?" Caroline Julian's voice broke his train of thought and Lance found himself turning his head to look at her.

"Sorry. Yes. That is true." The psychologist directed his attention back to where it belonged, however he was really only half 'there'. He wasn't even sure what he had responded to, he had only gone off of the script that Caroline had provided him the night before when they were preparing. His thoughts, as they tended to before this whole mess had begun, wandered and even though Caroline's mouth was moving as she addressed the jury Lance heard nothing. It was as if the whole world was on mute.

His focus once again drifting he lowered his head though his eyes remained straight forward as they glazed over everyone on the prosecution's side. There was Angela, a friendly face thank god it provided little comfort and the psychologist could see that she was sitting next to Jack Hodgins holding his hand. Her eyes however were directed clearly on him and despite the situation Lance gave the weakest of smiles. He had known that they would get back together since the beginning, and he was happy for it. His eyes drifted again and found Vincent and Wendell, both of their heads bowed paying little to no attention. Poor interns, they had tried their best to focus but had recently turned to sneakily sharing and reading a magazine. Lance gave another silent chuckle as his eyes dared to search further and he found Agent Seeley Booth. Parker was absent of course, he was to be spared, so Lance somehow doubted that Seeley would look any more friendly. However upon further inspection Booth wasn't watching Caroline or even listening to her address. Instead he was looking right at Lance. The psychologist felt his head lift a bit since he was under watchful eyes, but this pair of eyes was different than usual. They were dark, yet gentle, as gentle as Booth could be anyways. Lance felt his lips part slightly and reckoned that he looked rather pathetic sitting there like a defeated puppy. He had good cause to though and Booth would no doubt realize that and probably pitied him. But Lance didn't want pity. Either way it seemed that Caroline had quite a following.

"Is that right Doctor Sweets?" Miss Julian's voice interjected again.

Oh crap! "Yes. That is correct." His voice didn't reveal that he hadn't been paying attention and instead just sounded quiet and defeated. God he hated feeling so pathetic especially in the middle of an argument involving the sanity of a man who should be going to jail for the rest of his life. He was practically a killer why were they arguing this? It should be an open and shut case, then again he was partial.

"Thank you." Caroline concluded. "That is all. No more questions your honor." The prosecutor turned around to sit.

What? Lance panicked. It was done already? It had only been a few minutes though it had seemed like hours and he had said nothing of note. She hadn't asked him his opinion! She almost always did that? Why not now? What had changed? Lance's gaze quickly darted toward the jury: They didn't look convinced. His heart raced. Like a worried child he watched Caroline move toward her seat. No! It couldn't end like this! He'd get off!

"No!" Lance spoke up without thinking, snapping his head around to face Caroline his back straight. His voice had been a little louder than he had intended and blinking he tried to settle down some which was difficult since Caroline looked surprised and it'd be only a matter of time before she breathed fire and destroyed him for speaking out of turn and not sticking to script.

"You're asking me if I think that the defendant is mentally unstable." His words settled back into their quiet tone. Lance cleared his throat: it had been clogging up for some reason. Gosh, not now. "We're here to determine what a suitable punishment would be if he is proven innocent by reason of insanity." His words hung in the air and the psychologist even hated hearing them. "I hope to god that it doesn't turn out that way Miss Julian. People can not be innocent, insane or not they still committed the crimes that they did and should receive punishment." In the background he could hear Harold drumming on the desk and humming, an obvious attempt to derail him. "The defendant and Mister Ramirez would have you believe that he is not stable by putting on this elaborate rouse-" God shut up! Jerking his head around he glared right at Harold silencing him. "But it is my humble opinion as a psychologist that he knew full well what he was doing and should be reprimanded as such." Silence. Thank god for that.

"Thank you Doctor Sweets." Caroline's voice had been surprisingly gentle despite what he had done and he was at least relieved for that. It was the little things.

"You may step down." The judge gave him the go ahead and Lance nodded. Rising to his feet he left the stand and moved toward the aisle in search of his seat. That's when he heard the voice from beside him.

"Upset what I did to your little girlfriend and the little boy?" Harold taunted, grinning the ugliest smile ever seen by man. Lance's back was to him as he continued to walk. "I'd do it again too…" Harold threatened, his lawyer trying to quiet him. Lance now haulted, his hand poised at the door as if he was stuck. Agent Booth was already moving to get to his feet, anticipating the explosion. "I didn't off your lady friend. She did it herself. I'm not the crazy one. SHE is."

It all happened so fast. The psychologist had no time to think, a rarity for him, as he felt his fingers curl into a fist and make contact with the side of Harold's face in the form of a punch. He had hit the defendant. On one hand that could get him into a lot of trouble but on the other the man had harmed the woman that he loved. Right and wrong had always been so black and white for the psychologist but this wasn't so. It never seemed to be when the subject of Krys Robin came to mind. She had changed his way of thinking and Lance hoped that it was for the better, even if it involved socking someone in the face in front of a small crowd.

The next thing he knew was someone holding him gently, yet firmly, by the shoulders. For a moment the psychologist struggled against the touch, gritting his teeth he gave a few rough tugs against the force until he heard a voice as if from the heavens.

"Easy Lance." _William Barrett_. His arch nemesis, or so he had thought. The reporter had dropped his pen and paper on the floor in an effort to curb Lance Sweet's assault and anger. Looking out for his ex-classmate he hugged the young man's frame to his chest. "It's not worth it. Easy man, you don't want to end up in jail for something like this." He said quietly in the man's ear all the while he watched the reaction of Harold and his attorney Ramirez.

These words seemed to do the trick as finally Lance's body relaxed, as much as it could, and William released him. The tall young man felt his shoulders slump despite the heavy breaths that he was taking trying to calm his racing heart. Dark yet startled eyes shot all over the place, first to the wall, then to people nearby who seemed to be watching, then to William their focus locking together for a few seconds before he shrugged it off fully freeing himself from the situation.

Stepping away from William leaving some space between them he got right in front of the chained up Harold. Lance's face flushed, eyes dark with anger he pointed his pale hand right at the criminal. His entire body was shaking but his words were firm, scathing.

"Don't you ever come near my girlfriend again." He uttered the veiled threat before sucking in the side of his cheeks and turning around and walking toward the exit.

He didn't have time for this… Krys needed him. She was alive and that was all that mattered.


End file.
